Antique Chinese and Japanese Porcelain collector's help and info page

GLOSSARY

Chupu - lidded bowl

Chupu - lidded bowl

Chupu, dated Yi You or 1909
Picture courtesy of Diego Vatta, © 2012

Chupu is a Straits Chinese name on a lidded bowl. The chupu is also referred to as kat-mau in Malacca and Singapore or himcheng in Penang. The lid or cover is slightly convex in shape with a funnel-shaped finial. It was used to serve expensive soups and among the Straits Chinese it had a special place at 'baba' weddings, to serve delicacies such as birds nest soup, to the bride and groom. Chupus comes in various sizes but most are in-between 3.75 and 4.75 inches. The smaller versions were also encountered on the dressing tables to store beauty products, like tablets of compressed powder.

See also camcheng.

HOME

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z