Wine Cup and Stand

Qingbai cup stands with pierced trefoil motifs first appeared in the eleventh century. This type of thinly potted porcelain cup and stand can be seen in Song dynasty (960-1279) paintings illustrating banquet scenes. Intended for elegant dining, these vessels should be seen in the context of other Qingbai tableware such as the bowls, ewers, and saucers shown here.