Teacup

The cup is complete. It is circular in shape; there is a small break near the rim which has been filled with plaster, giving rise to a long fissure. The wall is slightly flared at the top, and the top of the rim is corrugated. The lower third of the wall is tapered towards the bottom, which is flat. It rests on a pedestal, the base of which is free of glaze; the junction of the foot and the wall features an incised ring. The underside of the base is recessed and flat. The handle is vertical. Rectangular in shape, its top extension is curved inwards, while its junction arms with the wall are curved inwards. Its ends, at its junction with the wall, are bent downwards and oval in shape. There are small marks on the inner base ; The decoration is painted on and under glaze. Underglaze is dark blue and overglaze is red and orange-red, with gilding highlights, in the Japanese Imari style, with vegetal and floral motifs. The painted decoration is visible on both the inner and outer walls. On the outer wall, it consists of a dark blue background featuring three flowers in reserve under the rim and three medallions in reserve on the wall, all arranged in a triangle and alternating. Below the outer rim, the blue background is covered with a gilded fillet; another fillet delimits the decoration at its base. The three leaves point downwards; their outlines are enhanced by gilding and they feature veins painted in gold. From these leaves emerge leafy stems in gilding, and from them hang stylized leafy stems of decreasing size. The medallions are poly-lobed and gilded around the edges, each containing a three-leaf plant element painted dark blue at the base, flanked by stylized horizontal elements outlined in orange-red, painted orange-peach with gold highlights. From the top of this element emerge four or five slender stems traced in orange-red; they are adorned with three sequentially painted leaves, gilded tendrils and one or two flowers painted in orange-red and peach, with gold highlights, and in dark blue with gilding. The inner wall is adorned with a gilded fillet from which hang, alternately, a leaf pointing downwards and curved leafy stems fitted with pendeloque leafy stems.