Chinese export porcelain teapot decorated en grisaille with an agricultural scene, Qianlong.

Very rare Chinese export porcelain teapot (3 holes drainer) and cover decorated in grisaille and gilt with an unrecorded busy domestic agricultural scene, c. 1740, Qianlong reign, Qing dynasty, l. 20 cm, 8 in. 4-16195

Provenance: Jorge Welsh, Lisboa, Portugal; Dr Carlos David Duarte de Almeida, Cascais, Portugal.

Illustrated: Tang to Qing Ceramics, by A. Varela Santos, 2017/2018 catalogue, cat. 63.

◆ This scene could be the harvesting and transportation of red sorghum 红高粱 hong gao liang, grown normally in the north of China (former Manchuria) where it's quite difficult to grow normal wheat due to its arid soil. The Chinese use it to make noodles and baijiu spirit.

Red sorghum can be used as a symbol in the Chinese culture. Some stories are named after it because it is crucial to Chinese people who view it not only as food, the living energy, but also as a general concept of the motherland. 

Baijiu or shaojiu is a distilled alcoholic beverage usually sorghum-based, but some varieties are distilled from huangjiu or other rice-based drinks. Typically they all have an alcohol content greater than 30% and are so similar in color and feel to vodka that baijiu is sometimes known as "Chinese vodka". There are many varieties, classified by their fragrance, but most are only distilled once, permitting stronger flavors and scent than vodka. Today the prestige brand within China is the "sauce-scented" Moutai or Mao-t'ai, produced in the southern city of Maotai in Guizhou. More common brands include Wuliangye and varieties of erguotou.

中國外銷瓷墨彩描金農作圖茶壺,壺內有三個小排水孔,畫片景色未有詳細出處,約1740年,清乾隆,高20釐米,8英吋。

藏品來源：Jorge Welsh,葡萄牙里斯本; Dr Carlos David Duarte de Almeida, 葡萄牙卡斯凱什。

圖示: 《唐代至清代陶瓷》阿.瓦瑞拉.桑托斯, 2017/2018圖錄，編號，第63頁。

◆ 畫片中所繪景色可能為收割及運輸紅高粱的場景.紅高粱通常生長在中國東北（前滿洲）,那裡土地乾旱,普通麥子不易生長.中國人用紅高粱來製作麵條或釀造白酒。

紅高粱也是中國文化的一種象征.一些故事通常以紅高粱命名.它對很多中國人而言至關重要,因為它不僅代表著糧食,生命的動力,也是他們對一方水土深厚感情的化身。

白酒（或燒酒）是一種蒸餾酒,通常以高粱為原料,但也有一些是從黃酒和其他米酒中提煉得來。一般白酒酒精含量高於30％,從顏色和味道上來說和伏特加都非常相似,因此又常被稱為“中國伏特加”。白酒分類眾多,常常以其香味來區分,很多種類的白酒只經過一次蒸餾,使得其香味和口感都濃于伏特加。在今天的中國最受歡迎的白酒品牌莫過於產於貴州茅臺的“醬香型”茅臺酒,其餘品牌有五糧液和二鍋頭。