Teapot and saucer; China, Yongzheng period (1722 - 1735).Porcelain. Pink family.The lip of the dish is slightly pitted.Measurements: 11.5 x 15 cm; 13.5 x 12 cm.In China at the beginning of the 18th century, various technical advances in the manufacture of porcelain pieces were developed which provided a host of decorative effects unprecedented until then. In particular, the Yongzheng period saw a boom in the refinement of the manufacture of this highly prized material. The pieces made during this short period are highly valued both for their small number and for their enormous technical quality. One need only look at the very fine teapot and saucer presented here to realise the great value placed on precise drawing during the reign of this emperor, with exquisite detail achieved through the outlining of the contours. The elegant chromaticism of these pieces, using pastel colours and gold, could be included among the technical innovations introduced during Yongzheng's reign. It is in fact during this period that experts believe the so-called "Famille Rose" decoration was established, which overtook the "Famille Verte" of the Kangxi reign, using a colour palette of soft, opaque tones (mixed with "Bo Li Bai" white or lead arsenate) which, when fired at a lower temperature, allowed for a wider range of shades, especially the pink and warm colours, which were usuallybined with a gold base. Studies seem to indicate that the "famille Rose" decoration was influenced by European taste through the trends imported by the Jesuits who worked inside the imperial palace in Beijing, and is undoubtedly the chromatic range that the incipient Rococo style was beginning to demand in Europe and above all in France. We can find pieces of porcelain from the Yongzheng period with a pattern very similar to those presented here in the Victoria and Albert Museum (London): Inv. Nos. 682-1907 and 640-1907.Dimensions: 11.5 x 15 cm; 13.5 x 12 cm.