An extremely rare 18th C susancai lotus flower cup with hollow stem, also called a nose cup, covered in pale translucent green glaze with highlights of yellow and aubergine enamels. These cups were made as an amusement for the court.  According to Geng Baochang, former curator of the Beijing Palace Museum, cups of this type were only made in the Kangxi period. Related, but larger size cups, painted in enamels of the famille rose palette, were again made at the beginning of the 20th century, and some are inscribed on the reverse of the stem with a citation translated as, 'A commemorative cup of the autumn manoeuvres near Lake Tai in Anhui province in 34th year of Guangxu (1908) of the Great Qing Dynasty'.
清代 Qing Dynasty, 康熙 Kangxi Period (1662-1722)
Length:  5 3/4" (14.6cm)  Width: 4 3/4" (12.1cm)
Condition:  Small firing crack on one petal occurring prior to firing.
Please refer to item #SU-402 when inquiring.