A CINNABAR LACQUER 'CHICKEN' TRAY QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

of square form with shallow everted sides supported on a broad foot and slightly recessed base, the interior finely carved and incised through the layers of rich cinnabar lacquer with a large hen and her three chicks standing on a riverbank, bending down to peck a winged insect, beside luxuriant branches of flowering peony issuing from a rock and below a tall gnarled pine entwined with overhanging tendrils, with a pair of songbirds perched above observing the scene, the sky incised with floral diapers and the foreground with asymmetric leiwen, the sides detailed with wan diapers between angular scrollworks at the corners repeated on the underside, the base lacquered in black

The tray is in overall good condition. There are a few shallow chips to the leiwen ground on the foreground. There are some occasional minor chips to the angular scrollworks and on the underside, predominantly at the corners with some small touch up along the edge. There is an horizontal 12cm crack along the edge on one side that has been secured and some old repainting to the foot.
"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."

Since its first appearance in the Chenghua period (1465-87), the motif of a chicken and its chicks enjoyed continuous popularity as a porcelain design but is rarely seen on lacquerware. Compare a square tray with canted corners, carved with a scene of ducks by a riverside and attributed to the mid-Ming dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in 200 Objects You Should Know. Carved Lacquerware, Beijing, 2008, pl. 55.