Beschreibung:

A PAIR OF EXTREMELY RARE FAMILLE-ROSE 'CHICKEN' CUPS MARKS AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS MAY BE REQUESTED BY SOTHEBY'S TO COMPLETE THE PRE-REGISTRATION APPLICATION FORM AND TO DELIVER TO SOTHEBY'S A DEPOSIT OF HK$2,500,000, OR SUCH OTHER HIGHER AMOUNT AS MAY BE DETERMINED BY SOTHEBY'S, AND ANY FINANCIAL REFERENCES, GUARANTEES AND/OR SUCH OTHER SECURITY AS SOTHEBY'S MAY REQUIRE IN ITS ABSOLUTE DISCRETION AS SECURITY FOR THE BID. THE BIDnow ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR PREMIUM LOTS. each of wide conical form, the almost straight sides rising from a low tapered foot and recessed base, finely painted on the exterior with different scenes of chickens and chicks, and an insect hovering on the back, one cup depicting the cock crowing, with a crouching hen turning her head towards him, while one chick perches on her back and two others stand by her side fighting over a worm, the cock depicted with a pink wattle and comb, a golden neck with delicately detailed plumage, the body with feathers shaded from yellow to pink, the belly dark brown with details incised through the enamel, the back golden, wing feathers outlined in brown, and impressive tail feathers in black and white, the hen also detailed with a pink wattle and comb with brown plumage overall, the feathers finely indicated in a darker brown tone, the chicks coloured yellow, brown and white, the other cup with a similarly coloured cock bending down to eat an insect, while a white hen with feathers finely indicated in brown stands beside him, surrounded by three chicks, one brown with details picked out in gold, one white, and one yellow, the ground indicated on both cups by turquoise dots, the insect enamelled in yellow and brown with details in gold, the bases inscribed with a six-character reign mark in three vertical lines within a double ring in underglaze blue 9.2 cm., 3 5/8 in.