Lot 518
  • 518

A RARE CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER 'THREE FRIENDS OF WINTER' DISH MARK AND PERIOD OF WANLI, DATED DINGHAI YEAR (IN ACCORDANCE WITH 1587) |

Estimate
120,000 - 180,000 HKD
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Description

  • 26.1 cm, 10 1/4  in.
of circular form, with shallow rounded sides flaring at the rim and resting on a short foot, the interior carved with a medallion enclosing the 'Three Friends of Winter', depicting a pine partly obscured by a moon among swirling clouds, flanked by sprays of bamboo and a flowering prunus tree, all surrounded by four floral cartouches interspersed with various auspicious emblems on the cavetto, the exterior decorated with undulating flower scrolls wreathed in dense foliage, the base lacquered black and incised in gilt with an eight-character reign mark dated to the dinghai year

Condition

There is a 12 cm opening crack in the lacquer as‎ visible from 7 to 10 o'clock on the photo. There is a dent to the lower right of the dish at 5 o'clock, with some deformation to the rim and associated small losses of lacquer. There are small further occasional minute losses of lacquer, as well as age crackles.
"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."

Catalogue Note

This dish is unusual for its rendering of the ‘Three Friends of Winter’ motif, with the trunk of the pine tree transforming into a lingzhi-shaped cloud formation with extending branches. While no other dish of this particular design appears to have been published, this piece belongs to a group of lacquerware decorated with designs brimming with Daoist iconography. This motif is possibly associated with the concept of xianrui (good omens), whereby clouds were believed to be an accumulation of qi, understood as the essence of all things, and therefore convey information or precede extraordinary events. This belief was widespread already in the Western Han dynasty (206 BC- AD 9) when professional qi watchers were employed to monitor clouds formations, and by the late Ming dynasty unusual meteorological events were associated with the Will of Heaven. Hence clouds obfuscating a pine tree or taking the form of a pine trunk may have been seen as a prediction of a particular event. Alternatively, the lingzhi-shaped clouds may refer to the belief mentioned in the Bencao gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), which was printed during the Wanli reign, that the qi of old pine tree would transform into a lingzhi fungus (fuling) with effective immortality-inducing properties.