A BROWNISH-BLACK LACQUER MALLOW-SHAPED DISH SONG DYNASTY

delicately constructed with shallow everted sides rising from a short foot to a six-lobed rim resembling the petals of a mallow flower, naturalistically divided by 'S'-shaped ridges on the cavetto and underside, the lacquer of a warm chocolate brown, the base inscribed in red paint with a two-character caiji mark

2000 Years of Chinese Lacquer, Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong and the Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. 18.
Layered Beauty: The Baoyizhai Collection of Chinese Lacquer, Art Museum, Institute of Chinese Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2010, cat. no. 14.

There are flakes to the tips of the petals of the mouthrim and footrim, the largest on the mouthrim measuring appr. 1.5 cm. and has been stabilised. Age cracks to the rim and interior as can be expected. In overall good condition.
"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 mallow flower, with its distinctive shape and overlapping petals, was one of the most popular forms for bowls and dishes between the tenth and fourteenth centuries. The flower represented longevity and a fulfilling life and was reproduced in metal wares, ceramics, such as Ding, Ru and Guan wares, as well as lacquer. The close dialogue between monochrome lacquer and ceramics is evident in the sheen of the surface and the delicate form of the bodies, and the present dish is very similar to that of fine Ding ware; for example see a larger Ding dish sold in our New York rooms, 20th March 2012, lot 28. 

A closely related dish, similarly inscribed with the two characters caiji, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art was included in the Museum’s exhibition Far Eastern Lacquer, Los Angeles, 1982, cat. no. 5; one from the Tokyo National Museum was exhibited in Tōyō no urushi kōgei [Oriental Lacquer Arts], Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, 1977, cat. no. 426; another, from the Florence and Herbert Irving collection and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, was included in the Museum’s exhibition East Asian Lacquer, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1991, cat. no. 2; and a fourth dish, from the collection of Sakamoto Goro, was sold in these rooms, 8th October 2013, lot 142.