Set of wine cups with flowers of the twelve months

Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Kangxi mark and period (1622–1722)

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 219

Known as "monthly flower cups," this type of cup set is highly appreciated as one of the finest imperial Qing porcelains. The flowers of the twelve lunar months are winter jasmine, apricot, peach, tree peony, pomegranate, lotus, orchid, sweet Osmanthus, chrysanthemum, Chinese rose, plum, and narcissus. The poems on the backs of the objects, mainly derived from famous Tang-dynasty (618–907) poems, appraise the values associated with these flowers.

Artwork Details

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Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

清康熙景德鎮窯青花五彩十二月令花神杯
Title: Set of wine cups with flowers of the twelve months
Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Kangxi mark and period (1622–1722)
Culture: China
Medium: Porcelain painted with underglaze cobalt blue and overglaze enamels (Jingdezhen ware)
Dimensions: Each: H. 1 15/16 in. (4.9 cm); Diam. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
Classification: Ceramics
Credit Line: Bequest of Mary Stillman Harkness, 1950
Object Number: 50.145.267–.278
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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