Imperial quality.  Decoration of the Eight Buddhist Emblems using iron-red, blue, green, purple, yellow, brown, and white enamels. Both the inner and outer lip with a keyfret band of alternating iron-red, green, and blue. Where the stem meets the bowl, there is a classic lotus petal border done on a yellow ground. Another keyfret band at the top of the stem. The base, which measures 6.5 centimeters, is bordered with a classic wave scroll done in green, dark-green, and white enamels.

Close examination with a 30 power microscope shows the lip originally was guild. Most Guangxu porcelains listed in either the major auction catalogues, or online sites, show an iron-red overglaze reign mark, usually four-character. Rarely is there a cobalt-blue underglaze six-character reign mark. Another mark of quality is the use of white enamel in highlighting, which is most visible on the cresting waves on the base, but also used to highlight much of the decoration. The center has a flowering peach.

Click on thumbnail for a full screen view.