Chenghua ‘chicken cup’ expected to fetch record price 成化鸡缸杯拍价或创新高

A doucai "chicken cup" from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) is expected to set a new record for Chinese porcelain at auction, with estimates of between HK$200-300 million ($25.7 – 38.6 million).

明朝（1368-164）的斗彩“鸡缸杯”或将创下中国瓷器拍卖品价格的新高，初步预估价值约在二至三亿港元（合2.57-3.86千万美元之间）。

The cup, named for the subject matter painted on it and created during the Chenghua reign (1465-87), will feature in Sotheby's spring sale in Hong Kong on April 8. It comes from the Meiyintang Collection, a grand European assembly of imperial Chinese porcelain and, before that, was in the hands of several well-respected collectors, including Mrs Leopold Dreyfus, Sakamoto Goro, Giuseppe Eskenazi and, reputedly, Edward T Chow.

该鸡缸杯制于明朝成化年间（1465-87），其以被上图案命名，将在香港苏富比的春拍上亮相。是次拍卖的鸡缸杯来自于欧洲收藏中国瓷器的玫茵堂。在玫茵堂前，此物曾辗转几个有名的收藏家之手，其中包括利奥波德·德雷福斯（Leopold Dreyfus）、坂本五郎、桂斯·艾斯肯纳齐（Giuseppe Eskenazi），据传还有爱德华·周（Edward T Chow）。

The creation of "chicken cups" reached its peak during the Chenghua period, and they were celebrated for their tactile material, elegance of color arrangement and distinctive painting style.

鸡缸杯集大成于成化年间，它以其可触的质感、缤纷的色彩和独树一帜的绘画技艺而闻名。

Produced in a small amount, specimens are preserved in no more than a few private hands and prestigious museums including the Taipei-based "National Palace Museum", the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

但该器质优量寡，少数的真品被收藏于几位私人收藏家，以及包括台北故宫博物院及伦敦大英博物馆在内的几个著名的博物馆之中。