I bought a teacup some time back. Not what westerners would call a teacup since it has no handle but a Chinese teacup. It has around the outside four images from a book created by #JinGuliang in 1694 called #WuShuangPu. The book itself contained some 40 woodcut images of different heroes and heroines. The portraits come from the artist’s imagination.

We begin with #20 of the images in the book. #LuZhu was a concubine to a wealthy man, Shi Chong, but desired by General Sun Xiu. Shi refused to find Lu to the general and he then sent troops to forcefully take her. Instead of being taken Lu Zhu jumped to her death from an upper window where she lived.

Chen Chuan was a legendary Taoist sage. Little is known of his life. It is thought that he was born around the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It is believed that he created a form of Kung Fu (Six Harmonies and Eight Methods). He also is associated with ‘chi’ (energy) along with sleeping meditation and exercises designed to prevent seasonal illnesses.

Qian Liu was founder and king of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. This Kingdom was found on the coast of southern China. At first Qian was only Prince over the regions of Yue and Wu but when the Tang dynasty fell to Liane dynasty he proclaimed himself to be King over Wuyue.

When Tianxiang was a scholar general and Prime Minister during the Song dynasty. He held a number of very influential positions and his writings are still taught in China’s schools today.

An interesting little cup. I do not know if there is any overall meaning in regards to all four images on the cup. Maybe. It is finely made in the 19th century and bears the mark (shown below) on it’s base.