No reserve price! 2 sets Chinese porcelain cups and saucers, powder blue –China- early 18th Century On offer is a very rare set consisting of 2 Chinese porcelain cups and saucers with a powder blue glaze. Cups and saucers are decorated with a gilded decoration consisting of birds and blossoming prunus branches. In both sets, the gold decoration shows little wear. This, combined with the powder blue glaze, makes these sets very special! Hard to find! Provenance: From the private collection of a deceased collector from North Holland. About powder blue; During and from the Kangxi Period on the methodology “powder blue glazing” was reintroduced. The cobalt blue was according to literary sources "blown onto the surface of the unfired porcelain body through a tube with gauze over the end". Hence the name powder blue (also known as soufflé blue). Powder blue became popular on porcelains in the Kangxi reign. The effect, when fired, was of a deep, finely mottled or soufflé blue. In some cases the blue covered the whole piece, in others, panels were reserved in white and decorated with over-glaze enamels in a second firing. The powder blue surface was often embellished with gold designs that more often than not have worn off (Gotheburg). Rare and interesting pair despite the minor blemishes. Date: Kangxi or Yongzheng period 1700-1730. Size: Cups measure ca. 6,5 cm across. Saucers measure ca. 10,5 cm across. Condition: Both sets in good used condition with some minor blemishes; Cup 1: a clean sealed 4cm rim hairline, but no frits and no chips! Cup 2: a short 1cm clean sealed hairline and a small restored frit, further no damage! Saucer 1: a very minor clean glaze frit, further no damage! Saucer 2: a glaze frit or small firing fault, further no damage! Sets in general; Slight wear from use. Will be packed very well and shipped with registered track/trace with insurance. Combined shipping possible, we return postage costs.