This is an old-style blue and reticulated teacup, with a dense and fine body and a soft, mellow glaze that reflects the traditional characteristics of Jingdezhen folk kilns. The form is small and upright, well-proportioned, with smooth natural lines typical of early gongfu tea cups. The exterior is decorated with entwined floral motifs in underglaze blue, complemented by touches of overglaze red, creating a modest yet charmingly rustic visual harmony.
The entire cup is crafted using the traditional reticulated (linglong) technique, with fine translucent holes visible when held to light. The glaze seeps into these openings during firing, forming semi-transparent ‘windows.’ Under illumination, the patterns faintly shimmer through the porcelain, revealing a soft and gentle translucence. The base is marked ‘Made in China,” indicating that it was produced in the mid-20th century in Jingdezhen as an old-style folk kiln piece. Compared with official kiln wares, this cup shows a rougher finish—blue lines appear slightly blurred and the glaze varies in thickness—but these imperfections enhance its authenticity and capture the warmth of traditional handcraftsmanship.
Reticulated porcelain, also known as ‘transparent porcelain’, originated during the Jiajing period of the Ming dynasty and reached its peak in the Kangxi and Qianlong reigns of the Qing dynasty. The process is highly intricate, involving the carving of tiny holes in the clay body before glazing and high-temperature firing, allowing the glaze to fill the openings and produce a luminous, translucent effect. By the late Qing and Republic periods, blue and reticulated tea wares had become common household items, valued for their practicality and for embodying the daily charm of traditional Chinese tea culture.
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