Lot 27. An imperial polychrome lacquer carved 'dragon and phoenix' dish, Wanli mark cyclically dated Yiwei year, corresponding to 1595, and of the period; 20.9cm (8 1/4in) diam. (2). Sold for HKD 2,271,000 (Estimate HKD 1,800,000- HKD 2,000,000). © Bonhams 2001-2022

The shallow dish superbly carved on the interior through the cinnabar red top layer to the yellow and black layers with a large central medallion depicting a pair of powerful dragon and phoenix, one ascending, one descending amidst clouds on either side of a flaming pearl, the dragon's scales finely detailed contouring their bodies, depicted above turbulent waves breaking against jagged rocks emerging from the sea, all against undulating sea diaper and geometric sky diaper, contained within a border surrounded by foliage floral sprays on the cavetto, the exterior decorated with continuous, dense flowering lotus meander, the base is lacquered black, incised with the eight-character mark enhanced with tianjin, box.

Provenance: A Japanese private collection.

Note: The present dish is remarkable for its deep carving in the powerful style characteristic of the Ming dynasty. Boldly rendered through the deep layers of polychrome lacquer, the tray belongs to a group of lacquer wares carved with the 'dragon and phoenix' motif that gained popularity since the Jiajing reign; see a yellow and red lacquer dish of the same size in the National Palace Museum collection incised with a Jiajing eight-character mark cyclically dated Renwu year, corresponding to 1522, illustrated in Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, p.102, no.91. The design prototype continued into the Wanli reign, compare to two dishes of red and yellow lacquer in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Beijing, 2006, pp.205 and 211, the latter incised with the same mark as the present lot. The treatment of the continuous foliage floral sprays on the cavetto of the present dish bears similarity with a Wanli red lacquer dish with the same mark in the National Palace Museum, illustrated in Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, p.96, no.96.

For a related discussion on lacquer wares with Wanli reign marks, see Zhang Rong in Mingdai Yuyongjian zao qiqi de kuanshi ji weikuan bianshi [The marks on lacquer wares made by the Directorate for Imperial Accoutrements], included in Gogong bowuyuan shinian lunwen xuan 1995-2004 [Selected essays of the Palace Museum 1995-2004], Beijing, 2005, pp.883-884. It is however extremely rare to find a polychrome lacquer dish with the present 'dragon and phoenix' design and inscribed with ganzhi year. It appears that no other known example exists, see a Wanli style polychrome lacquer 'dragon and phoenix' dish in the British Museum collection, unmarked, acc.no.:1974,0226.34. See also a comparable example but of yellow lacquer sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 3011.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, Hong Kong, 30 November 2022