A rare carved polychrome qiangjin and tianqi lacquer tray, Southern Song dynasty | 南宋 剔彩戧金填漆孔雀牡丹紋折沿長方盤

A Japanese private collection.

This exquisite tray is a remarkably rare surviving example of Southern Song dynasty lacquerware, distinguished by its complex decorative techniques and elegant form. While the majority of extant Song dynasty lacquerwares are monochrome, the present tray exhibits a highly sophisticated combination of polychrome carving (ticai), filled-in lacquer (tianqi), and gold-engraved lines (qiangjin). Such intricate craftsmanship required immense skill and time, reflecting the highly refined aesthetic sensibilities and the flourishing of decorative arts during the period.

The central composition features a pair of phoenixes gracefully positioned amidst luxuriant peony blossoms, framed by a classic key-fret border. In Chinese art, the phoenix is a mythical bird representing virtue, grace, and auspiciousness, while the peony, known as the 'king of flowers', symbolises wealth and honour. Together, they form a highly auspicious motif conveying wishes for prosperity, peace, and high status. The reverse is finished in smooth, dark lacquer, providing a striking contrast to the vibrant interior, with the exterior rim further decorated with finely carved floral scrolls.

Extant examples of this highly complex type are exceptionally rare, with virtually no similar pieces held in Chinese museum collections. For a closely related example serving as a crucial reference, see a rectangular tianqi tray decorated with peony scrolls in the Gotoh Museum, Tokyo, which exhibits similar carved floral borders on the interior and exterior sides, illustrated Zonsei: Shitsugei no Irodori [Carving the Sky, Painting the Stars: Treasure of Decorated Chinese Lacquer], Gotoh Museum, Tokyo, 2014, cat.no. 47.

來源

日本私人收藏

此盤形制典雅，工藝繁複，為南宋漆器中極為罕見之珍品。傳世宋代漆器多為單色素面，而本品則揉合剔彩、填漆與戧金等多重髹飾技法，造詣精湛。此類繁複工藝耗時費力，充分展現南宋時期裝飾藝術之繁榮與當時社會高雅之審美情趣。

盤心飾雙鳳穿梭於繁茂的牡丹之間，外環幾何紋錦地邊飾。鳳凰為百鳥之王，寓意吉祥高貴；牡丹素有「花中之王」美譽，象徵富貴繁榮。兩者相結合，寄寓富貴吉祥、錦上添花之美好願景。盤底髹黑漆，光澤瑩潤，與盤心之絢麗色彩形成鮮明對比，折沿外壁亦精雕花卉紋飾，細節處處彰顯匠心。

此類揉合多重技法之南宋漆器存世極罕，國內外公私收藏中寥若晨星，極難辨識。目前一明確之重要參考，可見東京五島美術館藏一件南宋填漆牡丹唐草紋長方盤，其內外側四周之雕花裝飾與本品極為相近，錄於《存星：漆芸の彩り》，五島美術館，東京，2014年，編號47.