Set of mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer cups

Set of mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer cups
Set of mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer cups

Qing dynasty, 18th century

Width of largest cup: 4 1/2 inches, 11.4 cm
Height of largest cup: 2 inches, 5.1 cm

A set of eight graduated black lacquer cups, each of square section with slanting sides rising from a flat base. The base of the largest cup has four shallow bracket feet. The sides of each cup are inlaid with tiny iridescent pieces of mother-of-pearl and gold-foil lozenges. The six large cups are decorated with scenes of figures in a landscape setting with abundant vegetation and pavilions, whilst the smallest two cups are adorned with bats flying amongst the clouds. The scenes are framed at the top and bottom by bands of formal pattern.

Fig. 1 Set of mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer cups of ingot form, Muwen Tang collection, Hong Kong

Fig. 1 Set of mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer cups of ingot form, Muwen Tang collection, Hong Kong

This set of mother-of-pearl lacquer cups is a rare example, both for its well-preserved condition and also for its unusual square form. As observed by Zhang Rong, the combination of highly iridescent pieces of mother-of-pearl with a brightly coloured tint, sometimes coupled with miaojin (the use of gold foil), is characteristic of Qing dynasty pieces. The square, slanting form of this unusual set of lacquer cups is sometimes referred to as ‘rice-grain measure (doubei)’, especially popular during the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty (1521 – 1567), and was mainly used as wine cup. A single lacquer cup of the same form with inlaid mother-of-pearl designs on a gold ground is in the Muwen Tang collection.[1] A set of seven graduated mother-of-pearl inlaid black lacquer cups with closely comparable figures-in-a-landscape scenes and decorative borders, but of ingot shape, is in the same collection (fig. 1).[2]

  1. Kwan, S. Chinese Mother–of-Pearl, The Muwen Tang Collection Series, Muwen Tang Fine Arts Publications Ltd, Hong Kong, 2009, no. 68, pp. 194-5
  2. Kwan, S. op. cit. no. 80, pp. 220-1

黑漆嵌螺鈿山水人物圖斗形套杯 (八件)
清 十八世紀 最大杯 寬:11.4公分 高:5.1公分

黑漆嵌螺鈿套杯,作斗形,全套由大至小杯共八只,四面飾黑漆螺鈿山水人物、花石庭院、風帆
航行、蝙蝠祥雲等圖樣。殼片色彩艷麗,部分用殼屑鋪地。斗形杯是明代流行的酒具,以漆器為
多,套杯設計方便攜帶貯藏。類似的套杯,不論是陶瓷或是漆器都屬少見,遑論黑漆嵌螺鈿這種
難以保存的文物品類,本品狀態完好實屬難得珍品。香港沐文堂藏有銀錠形黑漆螺鈿人物套杯一
套七件,及一只金漆螺鈿人物紋斗形杯,均為清代製品。