Lot 761. A silver ‘chrysanthemum’ cup, Song dynasty (AD 960-1279); 3 1⁄2 in. (9 cm.) diam., Japanese wood box. Estimate USD 8,000 – USD 12,000. Unsold. © Christie's 2022

The rounded sides are formed by four bands of petals radiating from the convex center chased with two bees resting on closely packed stamens.

Note: A silver chrysanthemum-form cup similarly decorated on the interior with a pair of bees resting on packed stamens, but raised on a tall, flared foot, was unearthed from a Yuan dynasty cache in Qiaotouhe town, Lianyuan city, in present day Loudi, Hunan province. See Yang Zhishi et al., Hunan Song Yuan jiaocang jin yin qi fa xian yu yan jiu (The Discovery and Research on Gold and Silver Wares Unearthed from Caches of Song and Yuan Dynasties in Hunan), Beijing, 2009, p. 281, no. 572.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, New York, 25 march 2022