Lot 3621. A fine pair of 'eggshell' blue and white 'keyfret' cups, Marks and period of Kangxi (1662-1722); d. 5.4 cm. Lot Sold 635,000 HKD (Estimate 600,000 - 1,000,000 HKD). © Sotheby's 2023 

Note: This pair of blue-and-white cups are among the most refined pieces produced in the Kangxi period, exemplified by the elegant underglaze-blue decoration at the rim. Compare a related pair of cups decorated with the 'cloud' band at the waist, from the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Chen Runmin, Qing Shunzhi Kangxi chao qinghua ci [Blue and white porcelain from Qing Shunzhi and Kangxi period], Beijing, 2005, pl. 153. Compare wine cups decorated with an unusual underglaze-blue border above the foot, one sold at Christie's New York, 15th September 2009, lot 434; the other, paired with a stand, sold twice in these rooms, 22nd May 1979, lot 164, and again, 19th May 1987, lot 267.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 9 October 2023