A FAMILLE-VERTE 'CRABAPPLE' MONTH CUP KANGXI MARK AND PERIOD |

finely potted with steep gently flaring sides rising from a short foot, the exterior delicately enameled with red crabapple buds, the reverse 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 

Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978). 

The rim of the cup has two minute chips.
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.

Among the celebrated set of finely enameled wine cups representing the twelve months of the year, those painted with crabapple represent the fifth month. A similar cup in from the Avery Brundage Collection in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco is illustrated in René-Yvon Lefebvre d’Argencé, Chinese Ceramics in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1967, pl. LXVIIc. Other examples with the same decoration, palette and bearing Kangxi reign marks include one from the Edward T. Chow Collection that sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 25th November 1980, lot 148, and another from the collection of Sir Harry Garner that sold first in our London rooms, 25th March 1975, lot 267, and more recently in our Hong Kong rooms, 7th October 2015, lot 3703. Complete sets of month cups are therefore extremely rare. 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, p. 65, pl. 48.