Lot 921. A rare and unusual 'mirror black'-glazed stem cup, Yongzheng six-character mark in underglaze blue in a line and of the period  (1723-1735). Estimate USD 30,000 - USD 50,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

The deep cup is raised on a wide pedestal foot, and is covered on the exterior with a deep black glaze that has very faint traces of gilt decoration depicting a dragon chasing a flaming pearl. The reign mark is inscribed in a line inside the pedestal foot. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm.) high. 

Provenance: Robert West Collection. 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accessioned in 1950.

Notes: A nearly identical 'mirror-black'-glazed stem cup, but with well-preserved dragon and cloud gilt decoration, is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Taipei, and is illustrated in Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2010, p. 271, no. II-94. The author states that gilt-decorated 'mirror-black'-glazed stem cups were highly prized by the Yongzheng Emperor. In the Account of Records in the Qing dynasty archives of the Imperial Workshops, it is noted that on the third month and 13th day of Yongzheng, the official Hai Wang gave a similar cup to the Yongzheng Emperor. The text also states that a 'du sheng pan' (a Western-style tray for scholar's objects), was made in either wood or lacquer, and contained sets of 12 or 18 cups.

Christie's. Collected in America: Chinese Ceramics from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 15 September 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza