Meiyintang Collection

Last July, collector Liu Yiqian purchased the “Meiyintang Collection Ming Dynasty Chenghua Imperial Chicken Cup” for HK$280 million and, in his excitement, used it to take a sip of Pu'er tea. This most expensive sip of tea in history has been the subject of much discussion. "The emperor's wine goblet, the tycoon's teacup." Today we will talk about this priceless "Chicken Cup." The Chicken Cup was originally an exquisite wine vessel and served as the personal wine cup of the Ming Dynasty Chenghua Emperor. It has a flared rim, shallow belly, and a splayed foot. The cup is decorated with a doucai painting of roosters, hens, and chicks, interspersed with rocks, orchids, and peonies, hence the name Chicken Cup. The doucai Chicken Cup from the Ming Chenghua period once enjoyed great fame. Every dynasty during the Qing era produced imitations, with those made during the Kangxi and Yongzheng reigns being the best, almost indistinguishable from the real thing. The Qing dynasty author Zhu Yan wrote in his book Ceramics Lore: "The best products of the Cheng kiln were the five-colored wares, and among wine cups, the Chicken Cup was the finest. During the reign of the Wanli Emperor, a single…