Chicken cups were created during the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644), during the Chenghua Emperor's reign (1465 – 1487) in China, and originally functioned as a vessel to drink wine from.

[1] The Emperor Chenghua had the Chicken Cup created in the 15th century as an act of devotion for his empress mother who was recorded to have an appreciation for small objects and valued a simple design taste.

[3] The chickens on the cup are interpreted as representing core dynastic Chinese values, such as continuing the family line and nurturing the young.

Imperial porcelains were characterised by their use of motifs which were symbolic and hierarchical, as they were regulated by the court and thought to embody the refined achievements of predecessors within the field of pottery such as those of the early Qing.

[6] During the Ming Dynasty, imperial porcelains also featured an increased range of colours, palettes and designs which could be underglaze, overglaze or slip painted.

[3] Several references within Chinese literature describe the fortunes allocated by nobles and emperors in order to obtain chicken cups in the 17th century.

Imitations of chicken cups as well as other blue and white Jingdezhen wares were prominent in Southern Chinese kilns which were sold to the South-East Asian consumer market.

The high temperatures also caused the content of iron and calcium oxide present in the glaze to become reduced, which led to the cup's characteristic clear and soft sheen.

While the payment process proceeded at the Hong Kong auction house, Liu was photographed pouring tea into the cup and sipping from it.

This event resulted in criticism from communities within China, with some suggesting the action was disrespectful and created risk of damage to the cup.

[10] The cup is decorated in softly toned underglaze blue washes and features contrasting overglazes and outline elements in green, iron red, yellow, turquoise and pale aubergine coloured enamels which are bright and transparent.

[21] The cup also features two separate scenes of decoration which are divided by jagged rocks and yellow lilies with green leaves.

The motif of the rooster and hen with young chicks is also recorded to symbolise the pleasures of simple life and the belief of luck within the familial line.

The symbol of chickens since the Eastern Han dynasty has represented five merits, including literary, martial, bravery, benevolence and honesty.

[23] The cup's structure includes a flared mouth, sides with shallow curvature, an everted rim and a recessed, ringed base.

This is painted in a blue and white glaze and is structured within a double-lined rectangular frame, which is also repeated through the double line border at the base and at the lip of the cup.