A SUPERB BLACK LACQUER BOWL STAND SONG DYNASTY |

the finely carved vessel of globular form with deep rounded sides, collared by a round dish upturning at the rim, all supported on a hollow flared foot, applied overall with black lacquer patinated to a smooth finish

Collection of Roger Soame Jenyns (1904-1976).

In overall good condition with just insignificant flakes along the foot as expected with age.
"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 unassuming and delicate design of this bowl, its deep black, undecorated surface, exemplifies the Song dynasty aesthetic for elegance and simplicity. Lacquer bowl stands were appreciated for the part they played in the tea ceremony. They were used to support tea bowls and were made in black or cinnabar lacquer to create a visual contrast to the white-coloured whisked tea. Tea bowls with lacquer stands are illustrated in many Song dynasty paintings including the hanging scroll Literary Gathering, by the Song dynasty painter Zhao Ji (1082-1135), in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, which depicts seven black bowl stands on a table where tea is prepared, illustrated in the catalogue to the Museum's exhibition The Far-Reaching Fragrance of Tea. The Art and Culture of Tea in Asia, Taipei, 2015, p. 59.A black lacquer bowl stand with a Yaozhou tea bowl, excavated from the tomb of the Lu family in Shaanxi province, is illustrated ibid., p. 57, fig. 1; and another with a Jian bowl recovered from a tomb in Jiangyin, Jiangsu province, is illustrated Zhongguo qiqi quanji [The complete collection of Chinese lacquer], vol. 4, Fuzhou, 1998, pl. 136. A black bowl stand of similar form but with slightly shorter foot, in the Nezu Institute of Fine Arts, Tokyo, is illustrated in Monica Kopplin, The Monochrome Principle, Munich, 2011, p. 132, pl. 9, together with a lobed example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, p. 131, pl. 8; and another from the Lee Family Collection, included in the exhibition Dragon and Phoenix. Chinese Lacquer Ware, The Museum of East Asian Art, Köln, 1990, cat. no. 22, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1st December 2009, lot 1802.