Chinese Doucai Lotus Motif Covered Jar. Blue and white mark on underside reads "Tian." 

Size: 5 x 5 x 5 in. 

Doucai is a meticulous Chinese porcelain painting technique that translates to meanings like “contrasted” or “fitted” colors. The process involves painting parts of a design in underglaze blue, firing the glazed piece at a high temperature, and then adding overglaze enamel colors before a second, lower-temperature firing. This sophisticated method was developed in the 15th Century by Jingdezhen potters to bypass chemical limitations that caused overglaze cobalt blue to discolor and other enamels to turn black in high-heat kilns. The technique reached its aesthetic peak during the reign of the Chenghua Emperor, whose personal interest resulted in rare, thin-walled luxury items like the famous “chicken cups.” While the style was briefly discontinued after an overglaze blue enamel was invented, it experienced massive revivals during the Ming and Qing Dynasties due to its prestige among collectors. Today original Chenghua pieces are exceptionally rare and valuable, evidenced by a single authentic chicken cup selling at an auction in 2014 for over $36 million.

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