Chinese art catalogue

7/31/2019 Chinese art catalogue

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BEN JANSSENS

ORIENTAL ART

CHINESE LACQUER


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BEN JANSSENS

ORIENTAL ART

I N L O N D O N

A S I A N A R T

C H IN E SE L AC QU E R

8 November - 19 November 2010


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The Chinese were the first to discover that sap from the indigenous

lacquer tree,Rhus vernic iflua, could be employed to coat materials to

make them waterproof. Excavations have shown that this discovery was

made as early as the Neolithic period; some of the earliest lacquer wares

can be dated to the Hemudu Culture (5000 - 4500 BC) in Zhejiang

Province.1 Over the centuries the simple quest to make objects

waterproof evolved into the pursuit of increasingly complex and refined

methods of embellishment; gradually Chinese craftsmen developed a

variety of subtly different techniques, such as carving, painting and

inlaying in mother-of-pearl. In offering a comprehensive group of

lacquers, the majority dating from the Yuan and early Ming periods,

one focus of this catalogue is perhaps to demonstrate different types

of designs resulting from the various lacquering techniques used, including monochrome,

geometric, figural and floral decoration.

A predilection for objects of simple and elegant form with little or no ornamentation ischaracteristic of most Song dynasty works of art, including metal wares, ceramics and lacquers.

In its simplest form lacquer was painted onto a thin wood surface, covering it in a uniform colour,

as can be seen in two circular dishes from the Song dynasty (p. 8) both covered in layers of rich

chocolate brown lacquer. Although in subsequent periods carved pieces are more ubiquitous

than plain lacquers, the taste for monochrome lacquer did not disappear entirely, as can be

seen in a mid-Ming dynasty chr ysanthemum-form dish that echoes earlier pieces in form and

simplicity (p. 24).

Tixilacquer incorporates thin layers of a single colour

lacquer (usually black or red, but sometimes yellow)

into the main body of lacquer. These layers are

subsequently exposed by carving the piece at an

oblique angle to form geometric patterns. This

technique was introduced also at an early stage; whilst

its origins are not entirely known as yet, the earliest

excavated examples appear to date from the Southern

Song period. Most commonly seen are variations of

geometrically arranged pommel scroll designs, which

are found on all manner of objects, including dishes,

cups and boxes (pp. 12, 18, 28 and 40). A deep

brown or black colour is used most frequently. A miniature tixicup (p. 12) and a small tixidish

(p. 22) are both covered in red lacquer can therefore be considered particularly rare. Given that

the strictly geometric patterns on tixilacquer did not change much over the various periods,

DESIGNS ON CHINESE LACQUER

THEMES AND PATTERNS


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dating pieces can be notoriously complex and can

usually be attempted only upon close examination of

condition, depth and angle of carving, regularity of

the pattern and the layers of different colours.

The concept of storytelling through decoration

is a trademark device of all Ch inese decorative art,

where tales based on contemporary texts or

woodblock prints are visually represented on all

manner of works of art, including ceramics, metal,

textiles and indeed lacquer. Carved lacquer depicting

narrative scenes incorporating human figures (renwu

gushi), such as a small 15th or 16th century box depicting Budai (p. 32), was first produced

during the Song dynasty and became increasingly popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

A fondness for hidden meanings or play on words is often evident; the seemingly innocuous

motif of four lions in pursuit of a brocade ball seen on a pair of carved red lacquer dishes(p. 30) actually represents a subtly conveyed wish for high rank. Figural scenes are also seen

on lacquers inlaid with mother-of-pearl, such as a miniature tiered box from the 16th century with

its tranquil scene of a scholar in his garden (p. 34) and a small cup depicting boys at play, dated

to the 18th century (p. 46).

The concept of expressing ideas and sentiments through decorative design

is seen also on pieces with flower and bird motifs. Here again, the earliest

pieces can be dated to the Song dynasty. Two 14th century dishes, one

an exquisite and very rare red-ground black lacquer lobed dish with a

single peony flower (p. 10), the other a red lacquer circular dish with a

spaciously distributed arrangement of five different flowers (p. 14) are

particularly good examples of purely floral decoration. Flower motifs also

often carry hidden symbolic messages; among the flowers carved on the

lacquers in this exhibition are chrysanthemum, peony, hibiscus and

camellia, respectively associated with wishes for fulfilment, wealth,

happiness and longevity. The seemingly random distribution of carved

floral and bird motifs can be misleading; the artist often juxtaposes them

deliberately in order to convey a particular message of symbolic significance. This is nowhere more

evident than on a 16th century box beautifully carved with such motifs (p. 26), which carries in

its combination of different birds and flowers wishes for a long and happy marriage.

1 Zhang Rong, Enduring Beauty: The Artistic Development And Achievement of Carved Lacquer in Chinese Hisotry

in Chun, Yoon-soo,East Asian Lacquer, Bukchon Art Museum, Seoul, Korea, 2008, p. 19


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C A T A L O G U E


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Two circular lacquer dishes, each supported on a low straight

ring foot, the broad sides extending from the foot at a sharp

angle and rising to a gently flared, metal-bound rim. The

surface of the dishes is completely plain and covered in a thin

and glossy layer of dark chestnut-brown lacquer.

These elegant dishes perfectly exemplify the taste forunadorned, finely crafted lacquer wares favoured by

discerning Song dynasty patrons. The lightness and delicate

nature of the dishes suggest that, rather than being intended

for everyday use, they served a merely decorative purpose.

Their overall form, in particular the sharp angle at which the

sides rise from the ring foot, closely resembles Song dynasty

Dingyao porcelain wares and suggests that pieces in both

lacquer and porcelain were most likely copied from metal

forms. A lacquer dish of practically identical size, colour and

form is in the collection of the Nezu Institute of Fine Arts in

Tokyo, where it is dated to the Northern Song dynasty. 1 The

Buckchon Art Museum in Korea has in its collection a pair ofvery similar brown lacquer dishes, which they date to the

Song dynasty, 13th century.2

1 Kida T. et al. The Colors and Forms of Song and Yuan China ,

Nezu Institute of Fine Arts, Tokyo, 2004, no. 16, page 206

2 East Asian Lacquer, The Buckchon Art Museum, Korea,

2008, no. I 17, p. 48

Two dishes

Song dynasty, 12th or 13th century

Diameter: 6 1/8 inches, 15.6 cm

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A lacquer dish of foliate shape supported on a low foot, the flat centre with a five-lobed,

upturned rim. The interior of the dish is carved through a thick layer of black lacquer with

a single, large peony flower in low relief, surrounded by leaves and buds, all reserved against

a bright red lacquer background. The details of the leaves and petals are finely engraved with

linear patterns. The five sections of the rim are each carved with alingzhi-like plant, with the

middle leaf shown opened and the flanking leaves turned outwards. The reverse of the rim is

carved with a hooked classic scroll,xiangcao, in which a single layer of vermillion is

incorporated. The base is covered in plain black lacquer.

The subtlety of the low relief carving with delicately turned-over edges on some of the petals,the spaciously applied decoration showing plenty of background, and the classic scroll pattern

(xiangcao ) on the back all indicate an early date for this beautiful small lacquer dish. The colour

scheme of black on red is extremely rare and owes its extraordinary state of preservation to the

fact that the dish was at a some stage painted over with a layer of black lacquer, which has since

been removed. The bold design of a single flower is also most unusual for this period; most 14th

century lacquers feature birds as part of the decoration. A much larger foliate dish from the Lee

Family collection, carved with branches of camellia, provides the closest parallel to the present

dish.1 Another 14th century large black lacquer dish carved with flowers on a red ground is in the

collection of the Tokugawa Museum in Japan.2 A square dish with two long-tailed birds in black

lacquer on a red ground from the Irving collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

has similar flowers and also has a classic scroll design on the back of the rim.3 Dating the latter

dish to the early 14th century, Watt justly praises the skill of the Yuan lacquer artists in conveying

three-dimensionality on a flat surface.4 The unusuallingzhi-like plants on the rim of the present

dish are of a type that does not seem to appear in lacquer before the Yuan dynasty; a black

lacquer box formerly in the Lee Family collection has lingzhi-shaped clouds5 and a 14th century

red lacquer oval tray in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has a lingzhi border.6

1 The Shoto Museum of Art, Chinese Lacquer, Shibuya, 1991, cat. no. 93

2 Karamono: Imported Lacquerwork Chinese, Korean and Ryukyuan (Okinawa) , Selections from

The Tokugawa Art Museum Vol. II, no. 39, p. 31

3 Watt, J. and Brennan Ford, B.East Asian Lacquer, The Florence and Herbert I rving Collection,

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1991, no. 18, pp. 68-9

4 Watt, J. and Brennan Ford, B. op. cit. p. 68

5 Lee King Tsi and Hu Shih Chang,Dragon and Phoenix : Chinese Lacquer Ware, The Lee Family

Collection, Tokyo, The Museum of East A sian Art, Cologne, 1990, no. 31, pp. 88-9

6 Kuwayama, G,Far Eastern Lacquer, Los Angeles County Museum of Ar t, Los Angeles,

1982, no. 12, pp. 66-67

Dish with flower

Yuan dynasty, 14th century


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Two small tixi lacquer cups, each carved with a design of pommel scrolls. The red cup is of

globular form with rounded sides rising from a flat base to terminate in a double rim. The cup

is carved with a single register of six carved pommel scroll motifs. An inverted scroll design is

carved around the base of the cup, and it is covered in a dense layer of red lacquer interspersed

with three very fine layers of black lacquer. The recessed base is carved in similar technique with

a trefoil motif. The interior is plain and lacquered black. The black cup has gently rounded sides

that rise from a low foot and taper out towards the top to terminate in a lipped rim. It is carved

with a single register of four deeply rounded pommel scrolls. A stylised scroll design encircles the

base. The cup is covered in a dense layer of black lacquer, interspersed with five fine layers of

red lacquer that are revealed where the grooves have been cut at an angle. The interior of the

cup is lacquered black and the base is carved with a trefoil design.

The thick layer of lacquer and the deep, boldly executed carving on these small tixi cupssuggest that they were made during the Yuan dynasty or in the very early part of the Ming

dynasty. The unusual feature of the blacktixicup is the design of the pommel scroll

motifs, which are of a more rounded and compressed form in comparison to the

traditional ruyi shape with hooked scrolls. The deep, angled carving of the

design makes a late Yuan date plausible, but lacquers carved with a similar

design were also made during the subsequent Ming dynasty, such as a low table

exhibited at the Baur Collection in Geneva1 and a box in the Linden Museum in

Stuttgart.2 A closely comparable cup of slightly larger diameter in a private

collection in Germany is also dated to the Yuan dynasty.3 The absence of comparable

examples indicates that red lacquer cups can be considered very unusual. A slightly larger

cup of otherwise identical form and design in black lacquer is in the collection of the

British Museum, where it is dated to the 14th 15th century.4

1 Tregear, M. eds. The Virginia and Edward Chow Foundation & Collections Baur:

One Mans Taste, Switzerland, 1988, no. L.24, p. 9

2 Brandt, K.J. Chinesische Lackarbeiten, Linden-Museum, Stuttgart, 1988, no. 27, p. 73

3 Frick, P. Chinesische Lackkunst: Eine deutsche Privatsammlung, Museum fur Lackkunst,

Mnster, 2010, no. 11, p. 38

4 Garner, Sir H. Chinese Lacquer, Faber and Faber, London 1979, plate 54, p. 117

Two tixi cups

China, Yuan to early Ming dynasty

14th century

Red cup: diameter: 2 3/8 inches, 6 cm

height: 1 1/2 inches, 3.8 cm

Black cup: diameter: 2 3/8 inches, 6 cm

height: 1 3/4 inches, 4.5 cm

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A red lacquer dish of saucer shape, supported on a short, straight foot, the cavetto gently

rising to a rolled rim. The interior of the dish is boldly carved with five naturalistically

depicted flowers, a peony to the centre, with chr ysanthemum, hibiscus, camellia, another

peony and a prunus flower arranged around it, amongst foliage and branches. The

decoration is spaciously distributed, exposing the ochre ground between the flowers. The

details of the petals and leaves are finely engraved. The exterior of the cavetto is carved in

similar style with a continuous band composed of the same flowers. A neatly carved band

of stylised leaves encircles the foot. The black lacquered base is engraved with the three-

character signature Zhang Cheng zao. A further fourcharacter inscription in painted red

lacquer reads Eisen (or Egawa) tobo.

Dish with flowers

Yuan or early Ming dynasty, 14th century


Although signatures of speci fic artis ts are found on only very few pieces of Chineselacquer, that of Zhang Cheng is found on a number of high quality lacquer wares datable

to the late Yuan or early Ming dynasty. Zhang Cheng is recorded as a lacquer carver and

is known to have been active in the mid to late 14th century; his name and some of his

pieces are cited in the Gegu yaolun (The Essential Studies of Antiquities), which was first

published by the connoisseur Cao Zhao in 1388.1 Whether or not signed pieces can

actually be attributed to the artist is a matter of ongoing debate, but the exceptional

quality of the carving along with the spaciously distributed decoration and the absense

of a black lacquer guideline certainly make it a tantalising possibility for this small dish.

The additional four-character mark in red lacquer reading in Japanese Eisen (orEgawa)

tobo (or Yingchuan dong fangin Chinese) was added at a later stage and refers

most likely to a previous owner, either an individual or a temple.

Intriguingly, a number of lacquers with the signature of Zhang Cheng

found in private and public collections are also inscribed with this

collectors mark, such as a very similar dish with flower

decoration in the collection of the Tokugawa Museum in Japan2,

another, larger dish with bird and flowers in the same

collection3, and a similar dish in the collection of Florence

and Herbert Irving at the Metropolitan Museum of Art,

New York.4

1 Garner, Sir H. Chinese Lacquer, London 1979, p. 61-2

2 Karamono: Imported Lacquerwork Chinese, Korean and

Ryukyuan (Okinawa) , Selections from The Tokugawa Art Museum

Vol. II, no. 46, p. 36

3 Karamono, op. cit. no. 20, p. 21

4 Watt, J. and Brennan Ford, B.East Asian Lacquer The Florence and Herbert

Irving Coll ection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1991, no. 19, pp. 68-9


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A small lacquer box of circular form. The domed top is carved through a thick

layer of red lacquer to the ochre ground and depicts a single, open hibiscus

flower, surrounded by buds and folded leaves with well-rounded edges.

A band of three peonies interspersed with leaves decorates the bottom section

of the box against a background of ochre coloured lacquer, visible in small

areas. The interior and recessed base are lacquered black.

The competent, confident carving of decorative designs through a thicklayer of red lacquer against an ochre ground, resulting in the kind of bold and

at the same time elegant, well-balanced floral composition seen on this

exquisite little box is very much a feature of early 15th century lacquer

craftsmanship, and particularly that of the Yongle period. The edges of the

design are smoothly rounded, making the box a delight to touch and hold. The

flower design incorporates hibiscus (furong) and peony (shaoyao), both

of which are popular wealth motifs in China.1 The Japanese in

particular greatly admired and collected Chinese lacquer

during the Ming dynasty and it is thought that small boxes

such as this, used for the storage of incense powder

and known as kogo in Japanese, adorned the altars

of the Shogun and Daimyo formal residences.

A comparable incense box carved with very similarfloral motifs is in the collection of the Tokugawa Art

Museum in Japan.2 Another similar box of almost

identical proportions and dated to the Yongle period

was formerly in the Lee Family Collection and is also

carved with a single flower.3

1 Bjaaland Welch, P. Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery,

Tuttle Publishing, Hong Kong, 2008, p. 26 and 34

2 Karamono :Imported Lacquerwork Chinese , Korean , and Ryukyuan (Okinawa) ,

Selections from the Tokugawa Art Museum, Vol. II, no. 59, p.42

3 Lee King Tsi and Hu Shih Chang,Dragon and Phoenix: Chinese Lacquer Ware,The Lee Family Collection, Tokyo, The Museum of East Asian Art, Cologne,

1990, no. 47, p. 122-3

Incense box

Ming dynasty, Yongle period

1403 - 1425


Height: 1 1/8 inches, 2.9 cm


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A lacquer deep dish of square form supported on a high foot with steeply

upturned sides and prominently indented corners. The interior is carved with

three rows of pommel scrolls, twelve in the outer band, eight in the middle

and four in the innermost row, all arranged around a central cruciform

ornament. The corner pommels have additional scrolls and the outer two

layers of scrolls are interspersed with dots. The exterior rim has a running

classic scroll ornament on each of the four sides. The dish is covered in black

lacquer, interspersed with two thin layers of vermillion, with the grooves cut

at an angle to make the red layers more visible. The base of the dish is plain

and lacquered black. Both interior and exterior are highly polished.

The square format is unusual for tixi lacquer trays and dishes; they aremostly either round or rectangular in shape. The steep angle at which the four

sides rise on this boldly and confidently carved dish is also unusual; most

square dishes are almost flat or have very slightly raised rims. 1 Dating tixi

lacquers is always complex, but Watt points out that the gently rising scrolls

and U-shaped troughs on a comparable box in the Irving collection indicate

an early Ming date.2 A rectangular tray with class ic scroll borders comparable

to those on the back of the present dish is in the col lection of the Bukchon Art

Museum in Seoul, where it is dated to the 15th 16th century. 3 An earlier,

slightly larger square tray with four tiers of pommel scrolls and square cornersis in the collection of the Nezu Institute of Fine Arts in Tokyo.4

1 For an example see:Ben Janssens Oriental Artcatalogue 2007, pp. 80-1

2 Watt, J.C.Y. and Ford, B.East Asian Lacquer, The Florence and Herbert Irvi ng

Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, p. 57

3 Chun, Yoon-soo, East Asian Lacquer, Bukchon Art Museum, Seoul, Korea, 2008,

no I-29, p. 59

4 Yoshikawa, S. Carved Lacquer, The Tokugawa Art Museum and the Nezu Institute

of Fine Arts, Japan, 1984, no. 16, page 17

Tixi square dish

Ming dynasty, 14th - 15th century

Length: 9 inches, 22.8 cm

Height: 2 inches, 5 cm


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Tixi round dish

Ming dynasty, 15th century

Diameter: 5 5/8 inches, 14.3 cm A lacquer dish supported on a low foot with gently sloping sides,

terminating in an upturned rim. The dish is carved in the tixi

technique with two bands of pommel scrolls arranged around

a central quatrefoil motif. The dish is covered in a thick layer of

orange vermillion lacquer, interspersed with two very thin layers

of black lacquer, which are visible in the grooves of the design

where they have been cut at an angle. The base is lacquered

a dark chocolate brown colour.

The geometric arrangement of pommel scroll motifscarved in lacquer using the tixitechnique was first used in

China by craftsmen as early as the Song dynasty (960 1279). Tixi dishes carved in either dark brown or black

lacquer are much more frequently seen than red, making this

dish a rather unusual example. Its attribution to the 15th

century is supported by the fact that scroll designs were

arranged much more symmetrically during the early Ming

dynasty than in the preceeding Yuan dynasty. Furthermore,

Ming dynasty pommel scrolls designs also have a smoother

appearance overall when compared to those of the Yuan

period. A red lacquer dish of slightly larger diameter with

identical interior decoration is in the Qing Court Collection,

where it is dated to the ear ly 15th century.1 A red tixistem

cup exhibited in London in 1989 and decorated in a very

similar style is also given a 15th century date.2

1 Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynastie s: The Complete

Collection of Treasures at the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2006,

no. 67, p. 95

2 Krahl R. and Morgan, B. (eds.)From Innovation to Conformit y:

Chinese Lacquer from the 13th to 16th Centuries, Bluett & Sons,

1989, no. 12, p. 56-7

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A small lacquer box of circular form with slightly domed top and

rounded sides that terminate in a lipped rim. The cover is carved with

a bold design of four pommel scrolls that extend over the edge of the

box and are arranged around a disc shaped motif, which is in turn

surrounded by four identically carvedruyihead forms. The bottom

section is carved with a series of four compressed pommel scrolls.

The angle at which the design is cut reveals the alternating layers of

black and red lacquer. The surface is highly polished and the plain

interior and base are lacquered black.

tixi circular box




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The carving of the pommel scrolls on this box is sharplyangled, resulting in a crisp finish with a clear view of the differentcoloured layers of lacquer. Watt observes that the sculptural quality

oftixilacquer had greatly diminished by the sixteenth century, and

craftsmen were shifting their focus on the overall colour effect of

the finished result rather than on the arrangement of the carved

designs.1 A tixilacquer box and cover of closely comparable form

with a different type of carved pommel scroll design was formerly

in the Lw-Beer collection and is now in the Linden Museum in

Stuttgart.2 Another very similar, slightly smaller lacquer box from

the Edward Chow collection, dated by Tregear to the Ming orperhaps early Qing dynasty, was exhibited at the Baur Collection in

Geneva in 1988.3

1 Watt, J.C.Y. and Ford, B.East Asian Lacquer, The Florence and Herbert

Irving Coll ection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1991, p. 61

2 Kopplin, M. (ed.)Im Zeichen des Drachen, Von der Schnheit

chinesischer Lacke. Hommage an Fritz Lw-Beer, Museum fr Lackkunst,

2007, no. 74, p. 160

3 Tregear, M. (ed.) One Mans Taste, The Virginia and Edward Chow

Foundation & Collections Baur Switzerland, 1988, no. L.26, p. 8


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A lacquer dish in the shape of an open chrysanthemum flower. The upswept

rim consists of a row of forty-four concave petals arranged around a flat centre.

The dish is entirely devoid of ornament and is covered in a relatively thin layer

of chocolate brown lacquer, which is partly worn through to the greyish-green

base coat. The back of the cavetto is similarly decorated and the slightly

recessed base is covered in black lacquer.

Elegant, monochrome flower-shaped lacquer dishes were first producedduring the Song dynasty, their shapes closely following those of contemporary

silver and ceramic prototypes. Although most Song period lacquer dishes are

of a more simplified form than the present example, the chrysanthemum shape

does appear to have been introduced during the latter part of the Song

dynasty; a red lacquer example of such a dish, closely related in form and size

to the present example, is in the collection of the Asian Art Museum of San

Francisco.1 Although establishing the precise date of manufacture of the

present dish is difficult, it seems closer in appearance to examples dated to the

mid-Ming dynasty, such as a black lacquer dish in the Bukchon Art Museum in

Seoul, Korea.2 A similarly shaped dish inlaid in the tianqitechnique with a

decoration of flowers in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing has a

reign mark dating it to the Jiajing period (1522 66).3 A further black lacquer

chrysanthemum dish, the centre inlaid in mother-of-pearl, is in the collection of

the Shoto Museum of Art in Tokyo, and is dated to the 16th century.4

1 Kopplin, M. (ed.) The Monochrome Principle, Lacquerware and Ceramics

of the Song and Qing Dynasties , 2008, fig. 1, p. 136

2 Chun, Yoon-soo,East Asian Lacquer, Bukchon Art Museum, Seoul, Korea, 2008,

no I-24, p. 56

3 Gugong bowuyuan cang wenwu zhen pin quanji(Lacquer wares of the Yuan

and Ming Dynasties - The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum),

Vol. Yuan Ming qiqi(Yuan and Ming lacquer), Hong Kong, 2006, no. 159, p. 201

4 Nishioka , Y. Chinese Lacquerware in the Shoto Museum of Art, Tokyo,

1991, no. 107, p. 93

Chrysanthemum

shaped dish

Ming dynasty, 15th - 16th century



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A red lacquer box of rectangular format with straight sides, the pedestal base with sleeve

cover and fitted with a removable tray. The top and all four sides are carved with different

scenes of birds and floral branches. The top depicts a bird sitting on a branch of flowering

prunus, whist another bird hovers above it. A branch of tree peony grows among the prunus.

The four sides are each carved with a single bird, sitting on branches o f crab apple blossom,

magnolia, tree peony, and camellia respectively. Each scene is carved on a ground of

diamond-shaped diaper pattern. Around the base runs a band of classical key fret.

The interior of the box, the removable tray and the recessed base are all lacquered black.

The relatively shallow carving on this unusual box is characteristic of 16th centurylacquer carving, which often features a painterly style of decoration, seen here in the

naturalistically depicted birds and flowers. The purpose of this box with its high sleeve

cover is not immediately obvious, but a box of this shape and with similar decoration, is

in the collection of the Tokugawa Museum, where it is described as an incense

container, giving a clue as to its use in Japan.1 The birds depicted on this box bear a

strong resemblance to Chinese bulbuls (baitouweng), whose appearance in combination

with peony flowers (fuguihua) is a play on words that can be interpreted as signifying

the wish: May husband and wife grow old together, suggesting that this box could have

been made as a wedding gift.2 Stylistically and in terms of subject matter, the present

box strongly resembles a rectangular box from the Lw-Beer collection, now in the

Linden Museum in Stuttgart. 3 The latter box bears what appears to be an apocryphal

mark of Jiajing (1522 1566), but is dated by Kopplin to the second half of the 15th or

first half of the 16th century. Two further comparable boxes, both decorated with a

combination of figures and birds, and both dated Ming dynasty, 16th 17th century, are

in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei. 4

1 Karamono: Imported Lacquerwork Chinese, Korean and Ryukyuan (Okinawa),

Selections from The Tokugawa Art Museum Vol. II, no. 46, p. 36

2 Barthol omew T.Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, Asian Art

Museum, San Francisco, 2006, 7.9.1, p. 174

3 Kopplin, M. (ed.)Im Zeichen des Drachen, Von der

Schnheit chinesischer Lacke. Hommage an F ritz Lw-Beer,

Museum fr Lackkunst, 2007, no. 48, pp. 125 6

4 Heguang Ticai: Gugong Cang Qi(Carving the Subtle

Radiance of Colours: Treasured Lacquerware in the National

Palace Museum). Taibei 2008, nos. 74 and 75, pp. 86-7

Box with birds

and flowers



Length (at base): 5 inches, 12.7 cm

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An imposing lacquer box of octagonal form supported on a tall base, which is

carved with a single groove in the middle. The domed cover has a flat top and

is carved with an inner band of four bold, spectacle-shaped pommel scrolls

alternating with hooked elements, encircled by an outer band of eight similar

pommel scrolls, arranged around a central cruciform ornament. The decorative

scheme of eight pommel scrolls is repeated around the lower section of the box,

whilst two bands of mirrored, more simplified pommels encircle the wide, straight

rims. The box is covered in a thick layer of black lacquer, interspersed with three

thin layers of vermillion lacquer, whilst the outside layer is a rich, chocolate

brown colour. The interior and base of the box are plain and lacquered black.

Both the interior and exterior of the box are highly polished.

The confidently executed decoration of bold, deeply carved pommelscrolls sets this magnificent box apart from other such boxes. The V-shaped

incisions, complex pommels, hooked elements, multiple layers of vermillion

inserted into the main layer of black lacquer, and the outer layer of brown

lacquer all indicate that this box is likely to date from the mid- to late Ming

dynasty. A larger tixioctagonal box in the collection of the Royal Museums of

Scotland is covered in very similarly shaped pommel scrolls in four registers.1

A slightly smaller tixi decorated black lacquer octagonal box in the Irving

collection at the Metropolitan Museum in New York is given a late 14th to

early 15th century date by Watt.2 A similarly shaped box with a denser

decoration of pommel scrolls is in the collection of the

Bukchon Art Museum in Seoul, where it is dated

to the 15th 16th century.3

1 Hu, Shih-chang and Wilkinson, J. Chinese

Lacquer, National Museums of Scotland

Publishing, Edinburgh 1998, no. 6, pp. 26-7

2 Watt, J.C.Y. and Ford, B.East Asian Lacquer,

The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection ,

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,

no. 12, pp. 57-8

3 Chun, Yoon-soo,East Asian Lacquer, Bukchon Art Museum,

Seoul, Korea, 2008, no I-30, p. 60

Tixi octagonal box


Width: 10 1/2 inches, 26.7 cm



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A pair of red lacquer dishes, each of round saucer shape with sharply upturned

rim and flat, slightly recessed base. The interior of each dish is carved with a

decoration of four lions depicted running around a central brocade ball, of

which they hold the long, trailing ribbons in their mouths. The scene is set

against a green lacquer background composed of wave diaper. The inside of

the rim has a continuous key-fret border. The outside rim is carved with

densely scrolling, stylised lotus flowers. The base is covered in black lacquer.

During the Ming dynasty not all lacquer was produced in Beijing, as is oftenassumed. Good quality carved lacquer was also produced in other parts of

China, and the sharp angles at which the decoration on this pair of dishes is

carved, as well as the densely arranged decoration and the slightly darker red

colour of the lacquer, all indicate that they were made in the south western

Chinese province of Yunnan, a known centre for lacquer production during the

Ming dynasty. It is recorded that the skills of the lacquer artists from this partof China were so much in demand in Beijing that several of them were ordered

to the capital by the early Ming emperors.1 The lion (shi) is often depicted

playing with a brocade ball in the company of other lions, and together they

represent a pun on words that can be interpreted as a wish for high rank,

indicating that these dishes may well have been intended as a gift for an

official.2 A very similar dish with four lions playing with a brocade ball is in the

collection of the Linden Museum in Stuttgart.3 A square dish with similar

decoration, is in the collection of the Royal Museums of Scotland, as is a

somewhat crudely carved round dish in the same collection. 4

1 Garner, Sir H. Chinese Lacquer, London

1979, p. 131

2 Bartho lomew T.Hidden Meanings in

Chinese Art, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco,

2006, 5.17.2, p. 117

3 Kopplin, M. (ed.) Im Zeichen des Drachen,

Von der Schnheit chinesischer Lacke.

Hommage an Fritz Lw-Beer, Museum fr

Lackkunst, 2007, no. 57, pp. 138 139

4 Hu, Shih-chang and Wilkinson, J. Chinese

Lacquer, National Museums of Scotland

Publishing, Edinburgh 1998, no. 23 and 24,

pp. 48 - 49

Two dishes

with lions

Ming dynasty, late 15th or early 16th century


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A miniature lacquer box of circular form with straight sides. The flat top is carved

through a thick layer of cinnabar lacquer with a portly figure of Budaiwalking by the

waterside in a moonlit landscape setting. The barefoot figure has a bald head with

rotund smiling face, and his ample belly protrudes from his open robe. He carries a

staff and a cloth bag over one shoulder. The moon above him is indicated by a small

round dot. A continuous key fret pattern denotes the night sky, while starburst

diapers decorate the ground on which the figure walks. A double linked key fret

band runs all the way around the sides of the box and cover. The interior and slightly

recessed base are plain and lacquered black.

This charming miniature box and cover was most probably made for use

as a cosmetic box or for storing incense powder. It is clear from the number of

surviving examples that the private production of small lacquer boxes in

particular flourished during the late Ming dynasty.1 According to Chinese

folklore, the figure ofBudai is based on a Chinese monk named Qiciwho lived

in Zhejiang Province during the Five Dynasties (907 960) and who was

considered a reincarnation of Maitreya.2 Budai is generally associated with

wishes for good luck and happiness. A comparable lacquer box depicting

Budai, also carved with a key fret design around the sides, is in the Tokugawa

Art Museum, Japan.3 A fur ther closely comparable example attributed to the

late Ming dynasty was formerly in the Edward Chow collection.4

1 Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the

National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, p. 57

2 Bjaaland Welch, P. Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery,

Tuttle Publishing, Hong Kong, 2008, p. 191-2

3 Karamono: Imported Lacquerwork Chinese, Korean and Ryukyuan (Okinawa) ,

Selections from The Tokugawa Art Museum No.2. no. 105, p. 58

4 Tregear, M. eds. The Virginia and Edward Chow Foundation & Collections Baur:

One Mans Taste, Switzerland, 1988, no. L.13, p.8

Miniature box

Ming dynasty, 15th or 16th century


Height: 7/8 inch, 2.3 cm

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A miniature three-tiered lacquer box of square section, supported on a low foot.

The box has indented corners and a flat top, which is inlaid on a black lacquer

ground with tiny fragments of iridescent mother-of-pearl, with a scene of a

scholar seated in a garden pavilion, accompanied by a small boy carrying a bowl

of fruit. The boy stands at the waters edge where a pair of cranes wade nearby.

The fragments of mother-of-pearl are engraved in minute detail. The sides of

the box are decorated with scattered auspicious emblems and precious objects,

mythical animals and flowers. A continuous key-fret runs around the foot.

Lacquer wares inlaid with tiny fragments taken from the pearly innersurface of the abalone shell are known to have ancient origins in China. In

addition to shell, lacquers were often inlaid with bronze and bone.1 The shell

inlay technique continued into the Song dynasty (960 1279), although

examples are not plentiful, since the Chinese government at the time banned

the production of lacquer wares inlaid with such a luxurious material.2

Soft-shell inlaying, which originated in the Yuan dynasty (1260 1368), reached

its peak in the late Ming and early Qing dynasty. 3 The quality of the inlay

and engraving on this charming little box is of the highest quality, and

reminiscent of the finest Yuan or early Ming dynasty mother-of-pearl

inlaid lacquers.4 Miniature boxes are very rare, and no other example appears

to be recorded. A much larger box of square format with indented corners

is in the Muwentang collection.5

1 Kuwayama, G.Far Eastern Lacquer, Los Angeles County Museum of Art,

Los Angeles, 1982, p.28

2 Hiroki, N. The Colors and Forms of Song and Yuan China Featuring Lacquerwares,

Ceramics and Metalwares, Nezu Institute of Fine Arts, Tokyo, 2004, p. 204

3 Yanli, B.Fine Lacquerware i n the Healy Collection of Chinese Lacquerin

Masterpieces of Chinese Lacquer from the Mike Healy Collection , Honolulu Academy

of Arts, 2005, p.21

4 See for example a late Yuan to early Ming square box illustrated in: Watt, J.C.Y.

and Ford, B.East Asian Lacquer, The Florence and Herbert Irv ing Collection ,

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, no. 12, pp. 57-8

5 Kwan, S. Chinese Motherof-Pearl, The Muwen Tang Collection Series ,

Hong Kong, 2009, no. 54, pp. 164-5

Mother-of-pearl

inlaid box


Height: 3 inches, 7.6 cm

Width: 2 3/8 inches, 6 cm

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A lacquer circular box and cover with straight sides terminating in lipped rims.

The top and base sections are similarly carved with an all-over design of

naturalistically carved lychee fruits on leafy branches, against a background

of starburst diapers. A variety of minutely carved patterns, including hexagonal

diapers, wan characters and diamond shapes decorate the individual fruit.

The interior and recessed base are both lacquered black.

Unusually, both sides of this lacquer box are carved with the same pattern,and it visually lacks an obvious top or bottom. Although most probably made

for storing incense powder, the decoration of this box interestingly bears motifsassociated with wishes for fertility. The word for lychee, lizhi in Chinese, is

homophonous withlizimeaning to have a son to continue the family name.1

The lychee is also a symbol of romance and love, as can be deducted from the

efforts made by the last Tang dynasty emperor Xuanzong, who went to great

lengths to provide his preferred concubine Yang Guife with this, her favourite

fruit, on a daily basis.2 Two closely comparable boxes dated to the 16th century

are in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. 3 A further

example with an almost identical arrangement of lychees on both sides of the

box is in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.4

1 Bartho lomew T.Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art,

Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, 2006, no. 3.19, p. 73

2 Bjaaland Welch, P. Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and

Visual Imagery, Tuttle Publishing, Hong Kong, 2008, p. 5 4

3 The National Palace Museum: Carving the Subtle Radiance

of Colors, Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace

Museum, Taiwan, 2008, nos. 048 and 049, p. 66

4 Kuwayama, G,Far Eastern Lacquer, Los Angeles County

Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 1982, p. 80

Lacquer box

with lychees


Diameter: 3 1/4 inches, 8 cm


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Page

A lacquer stem cup, the trumpet-shaped base supporting a shallow bowl

with flared rim. The stem thickens slightly where it meets the bowl. The

stem cup is painted in two tones of gold lacquer on a faux-sprinkled ground

with a scattering of insects, fruits, auspicious emblems and precious objects,

all minutely detailed. The interior of the bowl and the foot are lined in

silvered metal.

A practicall y identical stem cup from the collection of Sir Harry Garner,possibly the pair to the present example, is in the British Museum, where it is

dated to the late 16th early 17th century.1

Garner describes the BritishMuseum cup as: the nearest approach to a close imitation [of Japanese

gold-decorated lacquer] that has come to light.2 The fact that imitations of

Japanese gold-ground lacquer are indeed uncommon in Chinese lacquer might

suggest that this exquisitely crafted little cup was made in the Ryukyu Islands -

situated in the East China Sea that separates China from Japan - where lacquers

decorated in this technique were produced in numbers. However, as Garner

points out, its design is entirely Chinese in feeling and the sophistication of its

workmanship cannot be compared to that of the general ly much more crudely

decorated Ryukyuan lacquers.3

1 Garner, Sir H. Chinese Lacquer, Faber and Faber,

London 1979, no. 151, p. 204

2 Garner, Sir. H. op. cit. p. 202

3 Garner, Sir. H. op. cit. p. 203

Gold painted

stem cup

Ming dynasty, late 16th - early 17th century



38


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Page

A small lacquer box of circular drum shape with straight sides,

a slightly recessed base and a flat top. The top has an intricate,

asymmetrical design of scrolls, which continues down the sides

and is carved through a thin layer of red lacquer, interspersed

with two layers of ochre lacquer and one layer of red, alternating

with layers of black lacquer. The bottom section of the box is

carved with a more abstract pattern of scrolls. The interior and

base of the box are plain and lacquered black.

The unusual, asymmetrical scrolling design on the top ofthis multi-coloured lacquer box is almost identica l to that

seen on a larger, early 15th century box, which carries on its

base the presumably spurious signature of Yang Mao, a

lacquer artist recorded in the late Yuan dynasty.1 The much

more angular carving on the present box however, indicates

that this is a Qing dynasty copy of such a box. A similar box

from the Garner collection, exhibited at the British Museum

in 1973, was catalogued as Japanese by Garner at that time,

but this now seems unlikely.2 A closely related box f rom the

collection of Derek Clifford, catalogued as Chinese, 17th

century, was exhibited at Spink and Son in 1999.3

1 Christies Hong KongImperial Sale 29 30 April 2001, p. 241

2 Garner, Sir H. M: Chinese and Associated Lacquer from the

Garner Collection, British Museum London, 1973, plate 9, no. 22

3 Spink & SonLacquer from the Collec tion of Derek Cl ifford,

London 1999, no. 6

Tixi circular box

Qing dynasty, 17th or 18th century

Width: 2 1/2 inches, 6.3 cm

Height: 7/8 inches, 2.2 cm

40


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Page

A lacquer stem cup, the trumpet-shaped base supporting a

shallow bowl with flared rim. The bowl is decorated with a

continuing frieze depicting figures in a garden setting with trees,

rocks, other vegetation and a fence, all inlaid on a black lacquer

ground in tiny fragments of iridescent mother-of-pearl, carefully

chosen to reflect different colours. The lower part of the bowl

and the stem are decorated with scattered flowers. The interior

of the bowl and the foot are lined in silvered metal.

Soft-shell inlaying, which originated in the Yuan dynasty(1260 1368), reached its peak in the late Ming and early

Qing dynasty.1 A virtually identical mother-of -pearl inlaid

stem cup, possibly the pair to the present cup, is in the

collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, where it is

attributed to the 17th century.2

1 Yanli, B.Fine Lacquerware in the Healy Collection of Chinese

LacquerinMasterpieces of Chinese Lacquer from the Mike Healy

Collection , Honolulu Academy of Arts, 2005, p.21

2 Impey, O. R. and Tregear, M. Oriental Lacquer, Chinese and

Japanese Lacquer from the Ahmolean Museum Collections ,

Ashmolean Museum Oxford, 1983, no. 7b and p. ix

Mother-of-pearl

inlaid stem cup

Late Ming or early Qing dynasty

17th century

Height: 3 inches, 7.6 cm


42


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44

This enchanting box is imbued with auspicious symbols, not only in itsform but also in the motifs that decorate it. Its form is directly linked to

Lan Caihe, the only female amongst the eight Daoist immortals, who is

most often depicted carrying a bamboo basket containing flowers.1 The

flowers depicted here imply a theme of longevity: the combination of the

prunus flower with chrysanthemum is known as the Two Friends of Winter

(suiha eryou) and correlates with the notion of long life, since both types

of flowers are able to thrive despite the arrival of winter. 2 The apparent

lack of comparable examples published suggests that the form of this box

is indeed very unusual. Lan Caihe and her flower basket are depicted on

a variety of 18th century Chinese works of art in different materials,

including porcelain and textiles; examples of both are in the Asian Art

Museum of San Francisco.3

1 Bartholomew T.Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, Asian Art Museum,

San Francisco, 2006, no. 7.34 , p. 195

2 Bartholomew T. op cit, no. 7.11.5, p. 177

3 A textile depicting Lan Caihe holding a basket of flower is illustrated in:

Little S, Taoism and the Arts of China , The Art

Institute of Chicago in association with

University of California Press, Belgium,

2000, no. 118, p. 319 321.

A porcelain bowl depicting a

basket of flowers is illustrated

by Bartholomew T. op cit,.

7.2, p. 167

Flower basket box

Qing dynasty, 18th century

Length: 1 1/2 inches, 3.9 cm

Width: 3 3/8 inches, 9.6 cm A lacquer box carved in the form of a naturalistically depicted basket with

rounded sides and a long, bracketed handle. The basket contains an

abundance of flowers and leaves, including branches of flowering prunus

and chrysanthemum, all carved in high relief in bright cinnabar lacquer

against a dark green lacquered ground. The bottom part of the basket is

carved with a central stylised archaistic motif against a background of

starburst diapers. The straight sides of the box are decorated with a finely

carved design of wan diapers. Both the base and the interior of the box

are plain and lacquered black.


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46

A lacquered cup inlaid with tiny pieces of mother-of-pearl. The cups straight sides rise from

a short foot and taper out towards the rim. The exterior is lacquered black and decorated

with a figural scene of seven boys at play in a landscape setting, surrounded by trees, and

with rocky outcrops at their feet. Five boys fight over a helmet, while two other boys stand

aside, one playing with a monkey drum. Different coloured slivers of iridescent mother-of-

pearl and small pieces of gold leaf are inlaid to form the figures and their setting. The

scene is framed within two thin bands of geometric design; a chain-like pattern at the top,

and a band of small semi-circles at the bottom. The recessed base is decorated with a

single baluster vase inlaid in similar technique. A thin metal liner is fitted to the interior.

The emergence of lacquerware inlaid in mother-of-pearl was first seen during theWestern Zhou dynasty and did not fully evolve until the Tang dynasty.1 There can be no

doubt that by the time this exquisitely inlaid mother-of-pearl cup was made, Chinese

craftsmen had developed and fine tuned their art. As observed by Zhang Rong, the

combination of highly iridescent pieces of mother-of-pearl with a brightly coloured tint,

coupled withmiaojin (the use of gold foil), is characteristic of Qing dynasty pieces.2 This

can be seen in a number of Qing dynasty lacquer wares with figurative imagery in the

collection of the Bukchon Museum.3 The representation of figures on Chinese lacquers

is particularly prevalent among pieces inlaid with mother-of-pearl and the chosen

designs often symbolically convey various auspices. In this instance, the depiction of five

boys fighting for a helmet is associated with the story of Dou, the educated

scholar official who lived at Yanshan during the Five Dynasties period. He

raised five boys who each achieved excellent results in the civil service

examinations.

4

A comparable pair of cups similar ly decorated withboys at play is in the Muwen Tang collection and is dated to the

Kangxi period.5

1 Chun, Yoon-soo,East Asian Lacquer, Bukchon Art

Museum, Seoul, Korea, 2008, p. 81

2 Chun, Yoon-soo, op cit, p. 177

3 Chun, Yoon-soo, op cit, no. 1-73, p. 130-1 and no. 1-74, p.132

(tiered box and bowl)

4 Bartholomew T.Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, Asian Art Museum,

San Francisco, 2006, no. 4.14.1, p. 93

5 Kwan, S. Chinese Motherof-Pearl, The Muwen Tang Collection Series ,

Muwen Tang Fine Arts Publications Ltd, Hong Kong, 2009, no. 89, p. 238 -9

Mother-of-pearl

inlaid cup

Qing dynasty, 18th century




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