Blue and White Five Blessings Tea Cup

Each turn of this delicate porcelain teacup reveals a different traditional motif rendered in a rich cobalt blue. Surrounding a central shou character, five bats stand in for the Five Blessings of old age, wealth, health, virtue, and peace. The cup's remaining sides bear auspicious fruits, including a pomegranate for posterity, a buddha's hand citron for wealth, and a peach for longevity. Retaining the immediacy of the artist’s brushwork, the design looks as fresh today as it did serving tea at the turn of the 20th century.