Underglaze copper red was first developed in China in the north-western Chinese province of Shaanxi during the Tang dynasty (618 – 907) and continued in production during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. But working with copper oxide as the colouring agent was notoriously difficult with little guarantee of success when the pieces were fired. Often the finished colour more resembled a dull grey or even brown. There were, though, many successes and such pieces were highly prized, sometimes forming part of the ‘imperial’ ware produced for the Emperors (see image 6 : Kangxi Mark and Period). More modern techniques allowed the colour to be produced more easily and this piece, while a very recent example, actually displays it rather well. The quality of the potting and painting is excellent but the paste of the foot betrays fairly recent manufacture at Jingdezhen, probably ot much before the beginning of the current century. On the other hand the purchase price is much more modest than that of its forebears!