Eggshell Porcelain | Blue & Gold | Dragonware | Japanese Cup & Saucer | Yellow Moriage c.1940s

In England we have silverware, earthenware, and of course, chinaware. In Asia they have Dragonware, which sounds much more exciting. It refers to a particular type of ceramics emblazoned with a large dragon curled round the piece, let's say a teacup, hypothetically, on eggshell porcelain for example.

That dragon is often painted in relief with dots of luscious thick multicoloured enamels or thin string lines of coloured clay, built up coat after coat to give a 3D effect (otherwise known as a technique called moriage).

In this listing gold gilt representing the flames decorates white eggshell with bright blue glaze. Hand-applied high-relief moriage in yellow, defines the dragon's outline, his scales and also some zigzags of fire. The yellow fine line is used abundantly, but in some areas, a sparing dash of green and red moriage adds balance & contrast. These are very beautiful cups, but small (I'm not quite sure what we might drink out of them unless it's a shot of bourbon)... and yet that hardly matters. Some objects exist to be collected and adored, and this is one of them.

Cup Diameter 7.5cm
Saucer Diameter 11cm