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Subject:Inscription on old Chinese porcelain cup
Posted By: Paul Seno Thu, Dec 17, 2020 IP: 106.68.57.140
Hi all, can anyone help me with this inscription on an old Chinese cup. I have had a vague translation in the past about this being a gift to a warlord general in 1919. Can anyone please provide me a more precise translation?
Thanks
Paul



Subject:Re: Inscription on old Chinese porcelain cup
Posted By: Bill H Fri, Dec 18, 2020
In my sense of it, the inscription appears to say 'During the mid-autumn festival of the Wuwu year young officers were shown appreciation by military advisors for outstanding improvements and the dead were respected with bestowal of posthumous titles' (戊午中秋子春軍師賞卓悛敬贈 - Wu wu zhong qiu zi chun jun shi shang zhuo quan jing zeng). Corrections welcome.

There's no clue as to what wuwu cyclical date is mentioned; such years recur in 60-year cycles. It sounds to me like it may be one of the Chinese military classics, such as 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'. If it is related to the civil war and warlords of the Republic Period, 1918 was one occurrence. Usually something like this would bear related decoration. I checked the passage and segments of it on Google but got nothing apparently related back.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Subject:Re: Inscription on old Chinese porcelain cup
Posted By: I.Nagy Sat, Dec 19, 2020
戊年仲秋
子春軍師
清賞卓抜
敬賜
In Mid-Summer of the Year of Earth-Horse (1918)
Bestowed as an apppreciation of excellence on
Chief of Staff Zi Chun (Tzu Chun)

The Zi Chun name seems to be a courtesy name.

With regards,
I.Nagy

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Subject:Re: Inscription on old Chinese porcelain cup
Posted By: I.Nagy Sat, Dec 19, 2020
Correction,
In Mid-Autumn ... is correct.
I.Nagy

Subject:Re: Inscription on old Chinese porcelain cup
Posted By: Paul Seno Sat, Dec 19, 2020
Thank you Bill H and I Nagy. Your help has enabled me narrow down my research considerably. From the previous information I possessed and your input I believe I now have a more solid clue to who the cup was given to.
Below are images of cup. They are a pair and have the Jiangxi Ciye Gonsi mark which was the successor company to the Imperial Porcelain Factory that operated for a couple of decades after the end of Qing Dynasty. The images are plum or cherry blossoms with full moon in background.
ZiChun was the honour name bestowed to prominent and powerful warlord general Wang Zhanyuan who ruled Hubei province between 1915 and 1921. Due to abuse of power and corruption he became one of the wealthiest men in all of China. He was also previously a general in the Qing Army.
So there is a good chance these cups belonged to him. See below photos. Cups are identical.
Regard and many thanks again Paul.







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