明　雕漆剔黑四鳥穿花紋盤|Foliated dish with four birds and flowers

Unknown

15th century · Carved black lacquer · Asian Art

This dish is an excellent example of a small group of carved black lacquers that feature a four-bird motif. In this example, four birds fly amid a dense array of blossoming peonies. This design evolved from a “two-bird” motif that first appeared during the late thirteenth century. Demanding extraordinary carving skills, these vessels create a nearly three-dimensional visual across a basically flat surface. The even more complex design featuring four or five birds, as here, began to appear on lacquers of the fifteenth century.

Artist

Unknown

Date

15th century

Medium

Carved black lacquer

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2020