Chinese Greedy Cup

Description

A vintage porcelain, Celadon glazed dragon cup, often referred to as the 'greedy cup'. According to legend, at the wedding of the Tang Dynasty Prince Li Mao and his bride Yang Yuhuan, on the 10th February 736, the prince gave such a cup to his wife as a wedding gift. The meaning behind the cup is that everything should be done in moderation or nothing will be gained. If the cup is filled to as much as 80% of its' capacity, the liquid may be consumed BUT if the cup is filled further the liquid will begin to drain through a hole in the base AND the process cannot be stopped, resulting in an empty cup !! Just to clarify, if the cup is over-filled, the initial trigger point is lower than the dragon's mouth - the point of equilibrium is lower and the 'gravity pressure', I suppose, drains the water through a hole at the base of the dragon's neck at the base of the cup, not through the dragon's open mouth. A very clever piece indeed !

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