A PAIR OF FINE CHINESE IMPERIAL IRON-RED 'DRAGON' WINE CUPS

A PAIR OF FINE CHINESE IMPERIAL IRON-RED 'DRAGON' WINE CUPS

SIX CHARACTER GUANGXU MARKS AND OF THE PERIOD 1875-1908

Each with a deep body rising from a tapered foot to a gently flared rim, both finely painted with two menacing five-clawed dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls, surrounded by stylised clouds, one beast looking back in fury at his pursuer, all above crashing waves, 4.8cm. (2)

Provenance: the Myron Falk Collection, New York, and then an English private collection, Hertfordshire, purchased from Robert Kleiner & Co. Ltd., 30th June 2003, a copy of the receipt is available.

Cf. S Marchant and Sons, Exhibition of Nineteenth Century Mark and Period Porcelain, 1991, p.63, no.68 for a pair of Guangxu mark and period cups with a similar design; see also the British Museum, registration no.PDF B711 for a Tongzhi mark and period example on loan from the Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art; and see the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession no.803-1883 for another Tongzhi example.