A RARE FOLIATE-SHAPED CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER DISH YUAN DYNASTY

with a seven-sided foliate lipped rim and gently rounded sides raised on a short, similarly shaped foot, finely carved through the layers of cinnabar and black lacquer, decorated to the center with a large central medallion depicting a scholar on the terrace of a pavilion awaiting the arrival of another scholar approaching on horseback followed by a young attendant, all set in a garden landscape with gnarled pine trees, willows and acer bordered by rockwork beneath ruyi-shaped clouds, the well and exterior sides decorated with lush flower heads and leaves

There is a fine crack to the cinnabar surface, from the top central lobe to the center, approximately 9 inches. As the lobes are the weakest points, all of them have evidence of restoration to old cracks. Some are minor, while others such as the aforementioned are larger. Another larger crack runs from the lobe at 10 o'clock and is approximately 7 1/2 inches. Some repainting to the rim, including a chip 1 inch. Some areas of losses in the crevices of the carving on the exterior. The foot relacquered red, and the base also appears to have been relacquered black. For its age, this is in good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present dish is representative of the technical virtuosity of 14th century Chinese carved lacquer ware, evident in the greater complexity of the overall design and the increased plasticity to the relief carving. As a result, the lacquer artists created fluid and complex three-dimensional designs that covered the surface almost entirely, leaving very little of the surface exposed.

While the lush flower motifs on the well and exterior of this dish still draw on the Song tradition, the focus of attention is undoubtedly the figural scene in the center of the dish. Such narrative scenes involving human figures in a landscape or architectural setting, known as renwu gushi, first appeard in the late Song period but flourished on lacquer of the Yuan and early Ming periods. As this dish demonstrates, a variety of diaper patterns derived from textiles, were developed and applied to represent the ground and the air, a convention that was to remain with carved lacquer depictions of such narrative scenes in all subsequent periods.

Compare a very large carved cinnabar lacquer dish attributed to the Yuan period, decorated with children at play, from the Florence and Herbert Irving Collection and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated in East Asian Lacquer. The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection, New York, 1992, pp. 76-78, no. 23. Compare also a large foliate-shaped carved lacquer dish decorated with pheasants perched on rockwork, formerly in the Qing Imperial collection, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ching Dynasties, Vol 45, Hong Kong, 2006, pl. 9.

The dating of this lot is consistent with the results of a radiocarbon dating test, RCD-Radiocarbon Dating, no. RCD-6707.