Underglaze Copper-Red 'Scrolling Floral' Foliate-Rimmed Cup Stand Set

A Ming Hongwu underglaze red cup and stand, set for tea.

Hongwu (1368–1398) was the first reign of the Ming dynasty, and its potters painted more in underglaze copper red than in cobalt blue. Copper is the hardest colour to control in the kiln: a little too much heat or air and the red turns grey, brown or vanishes completely. That's why the red here sits soft and muted, closer to rose-brown than scarlet.

The cup is wrapped in dense scrolling flowers, with a band of lotus petals at the foot. It rests on a foliate-rimmed stand, 21 cm across, whose petal-shaped edge carries scrolling leaves and key-fret, with seasonal flowers in the centre. Scrolling vines that never end stand for growth and lasting prosperity.

The entire set is decorated in underglaze copper-red, with the copper pigment firing to a characteristic deep reddish-brown tone. The exterior of the cup is densely painted with scrolling floral motifs, while the interior rim is embellished with scrolling foliage and the foot with lotus-petal decoration. The rim of the foliate cup stand is outlined with scrolling foliage and key-fret patterns, while the central medallion and surrounding field are arranged in layered bands of scrolling seasonal flowers. The luxuriant blossoms and foliage are rendered with full, vigorous forms, their continuous, intertwining lines creating a richly ornamented yet carefully ordered composition.

Underglaze copper-red is exceptionally demanding to fire, as copper-based pigments are highly sensitive to kiln temperature and atmosphere. Even slight variations can cause the colour to turn greyish or black, making complete surviving sets of this type particularly rare. The scrolling floral motifs convey wishes for continual growth, enduring prosperity, and lasting abundance, while the foliate-rimmed form evokes the auspicious imagery of flowers in full bloom.

The entire underside is unglazed, exposing the biscuit-fired body in a natural earthy yellow to pale buff tone. Fine black specks, mineral staining, and subtle areas of soil accretion are scattered across the surface, together with naturally occurring abrasions and wear consistent with age and use. The outer edge forms the neatly cut foot ring, its profile cleanly trimmed. Along the exterior of the foot is a band of stylized key-fret and geometric square motifs, harmoniously corresponding with the scrolling floral decoration on the upper surface of the cup stand. The consistency of the brushwork and decorative vocabulary across both the front and reverse further reinforces the visual unity of the matched set.

The unglazed, sandy base (shadi) is characteristic of the period's firing practice. The underside was left unglazed and fired directly on kiln supports, resulting in traces of firing contact, kiln grit, and naturally formed dark specks from kiln ash.