of tear-drop form, the plaque with an intricate openwork floral meander of lotus blossoms issuing from a sinuous, leafing stem enclosed within a punched border of foliate scrollwork.
Note: This type of pendant was a popular luxury item and most often used with two halves joined together forming a container that served as a pomander for elite clientele. Aromatic substances were sometimes put into these openwork pendants, turning them into perfumers that could be attached to clothing such as on a long scarf or shawl as well as functional objects. Two examples are illustrated in Dynastic Renaissance, Art and Culture of the Southern Song, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2010, pls III-6 and III-20.
Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 12 sept. 2018, 10:30 AM