A "Feitian" teacup, Jianyao pottery, Southern Song dynasty

A conical-shaped cup with steep sides and a slight indentation below the gently everted rim. It is covered with a reddish-earth glaze, followed by a layer of mottled blue as a background for a dance scene. The scene is rendered in yellow, green and white glaze with gilding.

The scene is hand-painted and depicts eight dancing figures in a circle amidst floral elements. Some are playing instruments, others are carrying offerings, but all are elegantly dressed. The skirts are long, in green and brown or amber and green, with a flounced waist. Some details are stippled in black. Then, around their necks, they wear a necklace and on their heads a headdress with wavy ribbons. They do not appear to have gender attributes, although they do share similarities with the "bodhisattva" figures, such as the elongated ears, the folds of the neck and the high headdress. In fact, a Buddhist 'suastika' good-luck symbol is seen in one instance among the figures. The same scene is depicted on the interior and exterior. In addition, at the core of the interior is an open lotus with three hares in the center. 

Before reaching the base, it is not covered by any glaze, and the brown color of the body is visible. On the base are two Chinese characters 'gōng yù' (供御) incised in cold incising. The Jianyao kiln was famous for firing black-glazed teacups in the Song dynasty, especially for the court, which is why they were marked on the bottom of the cup. 

Height: 6.60 cm; Diameter: 12.50 cm

Provenance: Private European collection.