Lot 2317. A brown lacquer mallow-form dish, Song dynasty (960-1279); 7 in. (17.5 cm.) wide. Estimate HKD 50,000 - HKD 70,000. Price realised HKD 187,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013

The cavetto is formed with seven overlapping S-shaped petals encircling the central medallion. The exterior is of conforming floral shape, raised on a short foot ring, covered entirely with brown lacquer. The base bears a collector's seal in red. The mouth is bound with a metal rim, Japanese wood box.

Note: Four red lacquer dishes of this size and pattern are known, the first is in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, illustrated by C. Shangraw, 'Chinese Lacquers in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco', Orientations, April 1986, p. 26. It has been mentioned that the surface of these dishes with its fine hairlike crackle, known as 'cow-hair cracks', was due to the thinness of the lacquer; and differs to Yuan period lacquers which have deep linear crackles, owing to their different construction and thicker applications of lacquer, ibid. The second floral-form dish is in the Tokyo National Museum, included in the exhibition, Oriental Lacquer Arts, Tokyo, 1977, no. 424. The third one was formerly in the Lee Family Collection and sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2107. The fourth example from the Jean-Pierre Dubosc Collection was included in the Eskenazi exhibition Chinese Lacquer from the Jean-Pierre Dubosc collection and others, London, 1992, Catalogue, no. 4 and front cover.

Dish in the shape of a hibiscus flower, approx. 1200-1279, Song dynasty (960-1279). Lacquer. H. 1 1/8 in x Diam. 7 3/8 in, H. 2.8 cm x Diam. 18.7 cm. Museum Purchase (B76M2) © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.

 A mallow-form red lacquer dish, Song dynasty (960-1279), 18.4 x 2.8 cm, TH-380. Tokyo National Museum.

Formerly in the Lee Family Collection. A rare mallow-form red lacquer dish, Song dynasty (960-1279); 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm.) wide. Estimate HKD 100,000 - HKD 150,000. Price realised HKD 1,040,000 at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2107. © Christie's Images Ltd 2008

The cavetto formed with seven overlapping S-shaped petals encircling the slightly sunken central medallion, the exterior of conforming floral shape, raised on a short foot ring, covered entirely with red lacquer with the exception of the base with brown lacquer, bearing an impressed sealmark in red, the mouth bound with a metal rim, box.

Compare also a mallow-form formerly in the Lee Family Collection, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2080. 

Formerly in the Lee Family Collection. A rare mallow-form red lacquer dish, Song dynasty (960-1279); 7 1/4 in. (18.5 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 300,000 - HKD 400,000. Price realised HKD 980,000 at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2080. © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The cavetto is formed with seven overlapping S-shaped petals encircling the slightly sunken central medallion. The exterior is of conforming floral shape, raised on a short foot ring, covered entirely with red lacquer with the exception of the base with brown lacquer, bearing a collector's seal in red. The mouth is bound with a metal rim.

Christie's. Imperial Sale; Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall, 29 May 2013