the delicate bell-shaped sides rising from a short foot to an everted rim, one side of the exterior finely painted with a blossoming young crabapple tree amidst rocks and burgeoning vegetation all executed in soft underglaze blue and precisely applied overglaze enamels, the other side inscribed in underglaze blue with a poem reading qing xiang he su yu, jia se chu qing yan ('the fragrance blends with the flavor of evening rain; the beautiful color stands out in clear weather like in mist'), followed by a seal mark reading shang ('to appreciate'), the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle

Christie's New York, 28th October 1977, lot 157.

The cup is in good condition but has a small firing line to the well and a minor glazed-over potting flaw to the foot, but from manufacture.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

'Month' cups were produced in the Kangxi period (1662-1722) in both famille-verte and blue and white palettes. Variation in the sizes, colors, inscriptions, and proportional representation of different months, suggests that the cups were issued consecutively rather than as complete sets of twelve. The present cup is associated with the second lunar month of the year. Another cup of this type symbolizing the second month sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2013, lot 3274; one formerly in the collection of Sir Harry Garner sold in those same rooms, 7th October 2015, lot 3703; and an example from the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation Collection sold at Christie's New York, 14th-15th September 2017, lot 1224. A full set of 'month' cups, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, pl. 48; a set from the Sir Percival David Collection and now in the British Museum, is published in the Illustrated Catalogue of Qing Enamelled Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, (rev. ed.), London, 1991, pl. 815; another in the Idemitsu Museum of Art, Tokyo, is included in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 221.