105 - CHINA - Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368)

CHINA - Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368) Rectangular tray in red lacquer, carved with two chilong facing each other against a yellow background, surrounded by waves and lingzhi mushrooms on a yellow background above the foaming waves. The reverse is decorated with a frieze of stylized foliage known as “fragrant herbs” (xiangcao). (Chips, lifting, and restorations along the rim). 2.8 x 19.5 x 14.3 cm REFERENCE: A black lacquer box decorated with two chilong and lingzhi, dating from the Southern Song period, held at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, no. B77M12.a-.b; a Yuan Dynasty dish with peony designs is housed at the Cleveland Museum of Art, no. 1977.6 NOTE: The chilong is considered one of the nine sons of the dragon; it is a mythical creature of good omen, recognizable by its slender body, broad head, and forked tail coiling into foliage motifs. Depictions of the chilong were already widespread in the decorative arts as early as the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.). This motif experienced a resurgence in popularity during the 12th and 13th centuries, largely due to its archaic character, which was particularly prized in the artistic productions of that period. This motif can be found on certain ceramics from the Ding and Longquan kilns of the Song and Yuan dynasties. The classic scrollwork depicting fragrant herbs, known as “xiangcao,” which adorns the exterior of the dish, as seen on this example, is characteristic of Yuan Dynasty lacquerware.