A Black Lacquer Spoon Northern Song Dynasty

elegantly shaped with a slender shallow scoop and an arched rounded handle flattening at the end, the lustrous lacquer of deep black colour

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. 15.
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. 9.

The handle is warped, probably due to climate changes. There are some scratches to the tip of the spoon and handle and minor nicks to the lacquer, but overall the spoon appears to be in 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."

Lacquer spoons of the Song dynasty are extremely rare and the present example is special for its fashioning of an elegant curve that creates an ‘S’ shape. Spoons of this type were much valued for their use in the tea ceremony. It is reminiscent of a gilded bronze spoon, excavated in 1988 from a tomb dated to the Northern Song period, in Wuli Chong, Hefei, Anhui province, as mentioned by Peter Lam in Layered Beauty, Hong Kong, 2010, p. 34.

See a Han dynasty red lacquer spoon of similar ‘S’ form, that possibly served as inspiration to later spoons, illustrated in Im Zeichen des Drachen, Munchen, 2007, pl. 11, in the Linden Museum Stuttgart; and a black lacquer spoon with a straight handle, also of the Han dynasty, included in the exhibition Toyo no urushi kogei, Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, 1977, cat. no. 415.