Although he became the emperor, Zhu Jianshen's tragic childhood experience made him have a deep desire for family affection. The love of his life was Wan Zhen'er, who always stayed by his side.
The Chicken Cup was made by Zhu Jianshen to please Concubine Wan, who was 17 years older than him. According to research, the pattern of the Chicken Cup originated from the Song Dynasty's "Mother Chicken and Chicks", which expressed the emperor's commemoration of the years when Concubine Wan took care of him when he was young, and his hope for a harmonious family, a long life and many children.
This chicken cup, which bears the deep affection of Emperor Chenghua, was the emperor's personal wine cup. This kind of porcelain is very difficult to fire, and it is also the emperor's personal wine cup, so it is extremely precious. Even in the late Ming Dynasty, Emperor Wanli was eager to own a Chenghua Doucai chicken cup, and the price at that time was already sky-high. "The Records of Emperor Shenzong" records: "When Emperor Shenzong was in fashion, he had a pair of Chenghua colorful chicken cups in front of him, which were worth 100,000 yuan."
This small cup was born with royal bloodline and was only used by the emperor and a few concubines. According to historical records, Emperor Chenghua gave this chicken-glazed cup as a reward to a few envoys from vassal states who came to pay tribute, and he never gave it to even his closest ministers. And because the emperor had very high requirements for quality, only one out of a hundred was made, and before the Republic of China, it was impossible for it to leave the palace.
Therefore, there are almost no such small cups left in the world. In modern times, there are only ten Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cups known in the world!
At the Spring Auction of Chinese Ceramics and Crafts held by Sotheby's in Hong Kong Island on April 8, 2014, Mr. Liu Yiqian, a famous collector from Shanghai, bought the Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup from the Meiyintang Collection for HK$281.24 million after eight rounds of bidding!
And now, four sets of Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cups were found in this big iron box at once. This discovery is really no less than the two Yuan blue and white figure jars found just now!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
