Underglaze-Copper-Red Stem Cup with Three Fish Motif

This stem cup is a celebrated classic of Xuande-period imperial porcelain, produced at the Jingdezhen kilns. It has a flared rim, gently curving sides, and a tall, trumpet-shaped foot. The entire vessel is covered in a lustrous, creamy white glaze, often displaying a subtle orange-peel texture across the surface. The exterior is painted in underglaze copper red with three mandarin fish, their forms rendered in a concise yet lively style. The red pigment is rich and restrained, demonstrating the characteristic subtlety and technical challenges of underglaze-copper-red decoration. The three fish carry the auspicious wish for nian nian you yu—“abundance year after year,” symbolising enduring prosperity and good fortune.

The exterior of the stem cup is decorated with mandarin fish rendered in solid areas of underglaze copper red, without finely delineated contour lines—a characteristic technique known as tianhong (“filled red”). The red pigment is dense and subdued, with a rich, lustrous depth and naturally diffused edges that contrast harmoniously with the pale, slightly bluish-white glaze. The resulting effect is one of restrained antiquity and understated elegance. The fish are depicted with full, flowing silhouettes rather than meticulous detail, prioritising expressive vitality and the spirit of the subject over naturalistic precision. This bold yet evocative approach is a hallmark of underglaze-copper-red decoration on Xuande-period porcelain.

The base bears the six-character reign mark “大明宣德年制” (Da Ming Xuande Nian Zhi), written in underglaze blue in regular script (kaishu) within double concentric circles. Executed in imported Sumaliqing cobalt pigment, the characters display a rich, substantial brushwork and a spacious, well-balanced arrangement. This is a standard reign-mark format of Xuande-period imperial porcelain and a distinguished example of the reign-mark tradition of the Ming imperial kilns.