A fine pair of famille-rose ‘Hundred Antiques’ cups, Marks and period of Yongzheng 

Private Collection.

Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 31st October 2004, lot 148.

Chak’s Co. Ltd, Hong Kong.

The 'Hundred Antiques' motif (bogutu), seen adorning the present lot, originated from Xuanhe Bogutu [Illustrated catalogue of antique objects from the Xuanhe Hall], the illustrated catalogue of ancient bronzes compiled under the patronage of the Song Emperor Huizong (r. 1100–1126). The catalogue, which systematically recorded and classified archaic ritual vessels, established an enduring visual and intellectual framework for the appreciation of antiquity, exerting a profound influence on later literati taste. By the Qing dynasty, bogu imagery had been fully absorbed into the courtly decorative vocabulary, and during the Yongzheng Emperor's reign (1722-1735) it achieved particular resonance. Assemblages of archaic bronzes, musical instruments, incense utensils, and elegant curios are arranged on low tables or stands, evoking the cultivated space of the scholar’s studio. Such imagery articulated ideals of moral cultivation, reverence for antiquity, and cultural legitimacy—values closely aligned with Yongzheng’s own antiquarian interests and scholarly inclinations.

Brilliantly enameled, the present lot displays the technical and aesthetic peak achieved by the potters under the Yongzheng Emperor. Rendered with exceptional delicacy, the soft tonal range, precise outlines, and controlled application shows the restraint of the potter, favoring clarity over decorative density. Further enhancing the refined restraint of the present lot, the interior of each vessel is centered with a single delicately rendered floret. This understated motif, quietly positioned at the well of the cup, serves as a contemplative counterpoint to the more elaborate bogu scenes on the exterior. Such sparing interior decoration is characteristic of Yongzheng-period porcelain, where balance and refinement were preeminent, and where ornament was deployed with deliberate economy.

For a similarly decorated Yongzheng dish with 'Hundred Antiques' adoring the interior, see one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille-Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 63. For famille-rose cups of the same form and size but decorated with cranes, see two in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (accession nos 故瓷007376 and 故瓷007375).