Description
An 18th/19th century Ryukyu mother of pearl and red lacquer plate over a thin wooden core.
The center panel of this dish depicts three figures standing in a grove amidst Taihu rocks and under a craggy pine tree. We can speculate these three figures could represent the “Sanxing deities” (三星) of Fu (福), Lu (禄) & Shou (寿) or perhaps the Taoist deities “The Three Pure Ones (三清).” Its also possible this merely depicts a gathering of scholars or other sages.
Framed within a simple cartouche on each 0f the four outer panels of the plate, are the “Four Holy Beasts (四霊)” mentioned in the book of Book of Rites; an ancient text dating back to the Zhou dynasty. The winged dragon (應龍) resides in the East and is considered to be superior to other dragons. The Qilin or Kirin (麒麟) is a legendary unicorn in the West, the sacred turtle (霊亀) in the North, who said to be 1000 years old and able to carry a mountain on its back, and the Phoenix (鳳凰) in the South, known as the king of birds.
The use of these 4 symbols is noteworthy, particularly the phoenix and the dragon in that these symbols are normally associated with royalty. The depiction of the 3 clawed rather than 4 or 5 clawed dragon is also significant, in that this could allude that while this was not a piece belonging to the imperial family, it nevertheless belonged to an individual of some status.
Although much of this imagery has its roots in Chinese symbolism this tray is of a Ryukyu provenance. Ryukyu mother of pearl inlay specifically over a red lacquer base, as opposed to black or brown is a trait normally attributed to the Ryukyu islands and not China. The rendering of the Qilin/Kirin on this plate also shares much in common with a Chrysanthemum shaped tray (approx. 1600-1700) in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art which is attributed to the Ryukyu islands. As does the depiction of the phoenix, which matches closely with textiles in the Urasoe Art Museum. This blending of Chinese and Japanese aesthetics is typical of a Ryukyu provenance.
This plate uniquely combines the techniques of both thick and thin mother of pearl inlay (螺鈿) along with Mitsuda-e (密陀絵) a type of oil painting technique in which pigments are dissolved in paulownia oil or perilla oil. Unlike lacquers which have a limited range of colors, this technique can be used to create a wider range of color, including white and pale and other intermediate colors that are difficult to achieve lacquer alone.
Size (cm): 23 x 23 x 3
Japanese box markings: 角形, 唐山水, 香盒
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