The piece 器
A small scene of pure contentment: a plump tabby sits at the bottom of the dish, chin up, wearing a crown of blossoms someone (who?) has placed on its head. Above, a branch swings in from the rim — leaves in deep indigo washes, sprays of blossom warmed with a whisper of pink among the blue. The rest is left white, so the scene breathes.
The making 工
Painted entirely by hand in Jingdezhen: the cat’s stripes in soft graded cobalt, leaf clusters in wet layered washes, the pink laid in as the gentlest counterpoint. The glaze is applied generously — thick, soft and unctuous (釉水肥润), the kind that feels almost buttery under a fingertip. Born as a hucheng teapot stand for the tea table; equally lovely as a trinket dish, dessert plate, or on a stand.
Specifications
- Origin — Jingdezhen, China
- Material — high-fired ceramic
- Decoration — hand-painted underglaze cobalt with soft pink accents
- Glaze — thick, soft and lustrous
- Use — teapot stand, dessert or trinket dish, display
- Care — dishwasher safe, though it prefers hands
Each cat is painted individually — every crown sits a little askew in its own way. That is the point.
