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Lacquer tray with two dragons China, Qianlong period, 1736 - 1795 AD Measurements: 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches, 21.5 x 21.5 cm A square lacquer tray with indented corners and upturned edges. The interior is carved through layers of cinnabar, green and yellow coloured lacquer with a central panel depicting two rampant five-clawed dragons above a range of peaked mountains and among cloud scrolls. Between them, contained within a circular cartouche, is a single stylised character, Shou, signifying longevity. The four sides are decorated with shaped cartouches containing flowers, and a crane in flight is positioned in each of the four corners. The lipped rim of the dish has four grooves running along its length. On the reverse, the rim has four similar shaped cartouches, here containing the ‘Eight precious Things’, and the corners depict four pairs of the ba gua (eight trigrams). The base is lacquered black.
The considerable weight of this very fine quality, deeply carved dish indicates a thick core and reflects the great number of layers of lacquer that have been applied to it. The decoration of two confronting dragons - or phoenix – in conjunction with a longevity character originates in the Ming dynasty and is seen frequently in Jiajing (1522 – 1566) and Wanli (1573 – 1619) period lacquer. In several places the lacquer has been cut at an oblique angle, a device sometimes seen on 18th century imperial lacquers, which more obviously shows the different layers of colour used. An almost identical tray, the base with a six-character mark of Qianlong, is in the Palace Museum in Beijing 1, which also has an example of the type of 16th century dish that probably inspired it 2. 1 See: Gugong Bowuyuan Cang Diaqi (Chinese Lacquer in the Palace Museum) (Beijing 1985) plate 331. |
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