In ancient times, jade cups were generally used as wine utensils or tea sets. The goblet, the body is made of upper luxury and lower cylindrical shape, deep abdomen, high circle foot, the foot handle is a corset cylinder. Ear cups, also known as feathers, are oval in shape, binaural like a crescent moon, extravagant, curved round abdomen, and multi-circle feet at the bottom. 兕觥, that is, the shape of the jade cup, is particularly rare. The jade wine utensils are exquisitely shaped and complex in craftsmanship, which is a rare treasure in ancient jade.
Warring states
The jade cups of the Warring States period were mostly straight barrel goblets, and the shape of the instrument was simple and dignified. The cup body is divided into several horizontal layers, and each layer is decorated with different ornaments such as string pattern, cloud pattern, valley pattern, ruyi pattern, etc., and the carving is meticulous and exquisite.
The ear cups are oval in shape, with a curved ear on each side, the body is light, and the inner sole is decorated with a cloud pattern.
Han dynasty
In the Han Dynasty, the shape of the tall cup did not change much, and some placed a circle of handles on the side of the cup, and the decorative patterns followed the style of the Warring States.
At this time, the ear cup is also known as the feather, the shape does not change much, the appearance or light, or ornamented with cloud patterns.
tang dynasty
The Jade Cup of the Tang Dynasty carries on from top to bottom, not only has the old style of the former dynasty, but also shows strong personality characteristics. From the reign of Zhenguan to the prosperity of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty continued to move towards the peak of feudal society, and its exchanges with the countries of the Western Regions were also increasingly strengthened. In this context, many cup types with a strong exotic atmosphere have been introduced to the Central Plains, such as corner cups, petal-shaped cups, etc., with thin walls and light bodies, with unique styles. In addition to the surface of the light, the shape of the jade cup, at this time is also widely popular in the cup body decorative cloud pattern, curly grass pattern and various floral patterns, mostly in relief process display, very artistic beauty.
Song dynasty
In the Song Dynasty, due to the popularity of tea drinking, the jade cups were still numerous, and the shape and ornamentation were flexible and diverse. The cup body is either round, oval, or octagonal, and some are also realistic pictographic peach-shaped, petal-shaped, lotus-shaped, etc., with a wide variety of styles. Some jade cups have two ears on either side or a single handle on one side, and the handle is mostly carved into the shape of a dragon, a cockroach, and a flame.
Yuan Dynasty
The jade cup still occupies a major position in the jade utensils of the Yuan Dynasty, and there are many delicate works of carving and grinding, such as the qingyu goose handle cup, the qingyu dragon first handle cup, the qingyu ten-pointed amphora cup, etc., which are evenly conceived with kitsch and exquisite craftsmanship.
Ming and Qing dynasties
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the production of jade cups can be said to have reached its peak, and there are more breakthroughs in craftsmanship, and there are many kinds of carvings and various styles of cup shapes, which can be described as the culmination of the dynasties and dynasties, and there are many innovations.