Jingdezhen Hand-Painted Doucai Three Friends of Winter Teacup

Pine, bamboo and flowering plum move around this small Jingdezhen cup, outlined in underglaze blue and completed with colored enamels. A pine motif inside gives the composition a final image beneath the tea.

Together the three plants are known as the Three Friends of Winter. Because pine and bamboo remain green through cold weather and plum is among the first trees to bloom, the motif has long represented integrity, endurance, friendship and renewal in Chinese art. It gives the cup a meaning that is personal without becoming sentimental.

At 100 ml, the cup is made for concentrated tea and close looking. The hand-painted doucai process separates blue structure from later color, so the image can be read as layered brushwork rather than a single printed surface.

• Origin: Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, China
• Material: High-fired porcelain
• Craft: Hand-painted doucai decoration
• Motif: Pine, bamboo and plum, known as the Three Friends of Winter
• Diameter: 8.2 cm / 3.2 in
• Height: 4.5 cm / 1.8 in
• Capacity: Approx. 100 ml / 3.4 oz
• Included: One teacup and presentation box