元　張成款雕漆剔紅綬帶秋葵紋盤|Dish with long-tailed birds and hibiscuses

Zhang Cheng

mid-14th century · Carved red lacquer · Asian Art

Several features help date this remarkable dish to the fourteenth century. Two birds circle one another playfully in a composition suited to the circular shape. The lush hollyhock blossoms, shown from multiple perspectives, have petals of different sizes that overlap to suggest depth. Long, narrow leaves fill at least three layers of carving, adding to the richness of the surface. The unworked dark background seen here is more commonly found in earlier carved lacquers.

Artist

Zhang Cheng

Date

mid-14th century

Medium

Carved red lacquer

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, in honor of James C. Y. Watt, 2011