Cup with Scholars in a Garden

This deep "U" shaped cup depicts two scholars in a garden. They stand on a veranda facing each other while elaborate rock formations emerge behind them. The painted enamel, applied with thin lines and soft wash, is in the famille verte style. Naturalistic scenes of everyday life or adventurous novels became a popular subject during the Kangxi reign (1662-1722). Private patrons and wealthy middle class markets shifted the demand for porcelain from fantastical subjects of dragons and phoenixes for the imperial court to the more common realistic scenes of landscapes, figures, children, and recognizable characters.