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Lot Essay
The depiction of melons or gourds on early Chinese carved lacquer is very rare. They begin to appear on blue and white porcelains in the Yuan dynasty and are included in the decoration of a number of large blue and white porcelain dishes. One such dish is in the collection of the British Museum (illustrated by Jessica Harrison-Hall in Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, BMP, London, 2001, p. 79, no. 1:39). Another is in the collection of the Topkapi Saray, Istanbul (illustrated by J. Ayers and R. Krahl in Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, vol II, Philip Wilson, London, 1986, p. 392, no. 561). The same collection contains a particularly fine facetted double gourd vase (illustrated ibid., p. 394, no. 576), on one of the upper facets of which three melons or gourds very similar to those on the current lacquer dish are shown.
A Yuan dynasty, 14th century carved lacquer dish of similar type, although with three large flowers and buds, which was formerly in the collection of Lady David, was illustrated by Sherman E. Lee and Wai-kam Ho in Chinese Art Under the Mongold: The Yuan Dynasty (1276-1366), Cleveland, 1968, no. 294.
A Yuan dynasty, 14th century carved lacquer dish of similar type, although with three large flowers and buds, which was formerly in the collection of Lady David, was illustrated by Sherman E. Lee and Wai-kam Ho in Chinese Art Under the Mongold: The Yuan Dynasty (1276-1366), Cleveland, 1968, no. 294.