Wine Cup

The delicate peach bloom glaze that appears on this small wine cup incorporates a mottled pink-red ground speckled with grey-green flecks at the bottom of the body. The mouth flares open wide to expose more mottled peach bloom glaze inside. The technique of peach bloom glazes dates to the reign of Kangxi (1662-1772), invented accidentally through attempts to revive the red glazes of Ming dynasty emperors Xuande and Chenghua. The marks of these Ming emperors appear on some early Kangxi peach bloom vessels. This cup bears a spurious reign mark of Xuande (1426-35) on the round foot, six characters inscribed within a circle.