A MOTHER-OF-PEARL INLAID TRAY YUAN DYNASTY

of long rectangular form with shallow slanted sides and lobed corners, the interior finely inlaid with tiny iridescent pieces of mother-of-pearl set against a black ground, depicting two cranes in a lotus pond, with one crane standing on the banks looking up at its mate swooping down from the sky, surrounded by lush lotus flowers and reeds, the long sides of the cavetto with lotus scrolls in a panel framed by a 'Y'-shaped diaper ground, the shorter sides with a single flowerhead on a foliate scroll framed by similar diaper on the corners, the exterior lacquered in plain black, supported on 'L'-shaped feet, together with a bid slip

Kyoto Bijutsu Club.

There are some losses to the mother-of-pearl inlay and flaking of the lacquer on the interior, but remains un-re-lacquered.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The decoration of the 'flower-and-bird' motif on this tray, most probably inspired by woodblock illustrations of the period, is a fine example of how the Yuan artist has used his inlay material sparingly yet has skilfully created a 'painterly composition' on a lacquer vessel. There is a delicate balance between the composition and its placing against the empty space that is also reminiscent of the style known from Southern Song paintings. The spacious and unregimented arrangement of the border motif are in sharp contrast with the more stylised and formal treatment of decoration found typically on later, Ming dynasty, inlay lacquer pieces. 

A tray with inlaid decoration depicting birds perched on a branch, in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, is included in Hai-Wai Yi-Chen. Chinese Art in Overseas Collections. Lacquerware, Taipei, 1987, pl.75, attributed to the Yuan and Ming periods. Further examples of mother-of-pearl inlay decorated vessels of the Yuan period were included in the exhibition, So Gen no bi, Nezu Institute of Fine Arts, Tokyo, 2004, cat. nos. 124-133, displaying a wide range of subjects matters used on boxes, trays, chests and furniture.  Compare also a scroll tray decorated with an inlay design of the 'Three Friends', the motif laid out as a landscape and the edge of the border inlaid with metal thread, illustrated in Lee Yu-Kuan, Oriental Lacquer Art, New York and Tokyo, 1972, pl. 79. An octagonal dish with flowering plums and birds, attributed to the Yuan period, from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, was included in the exhibition Mother-of-Pearl. A Tradition in Asian Lacquer, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2006, cat. no. 6, together with a rectangular tray with a similar 'birds and flower' motif, of the early Ming period, cat. no. 7, also from the museum's collection.