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Lot Essay
Dishes with flattened rims and a low ridge running around the edge appear in silver in Tang times, which is when this precious metal began to be used on a more regular basis for fine vessels. A small number of silver dishes with flattened rim and raised edge are known which have repoussé, rather than chased, decoration. One such dish excavated in 1983 at Suiningxian, Sichuan, and another in 1966 at Jintanxian, Jiangsu are illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji: gongyi meishu bian 10, Beijing, 1987, nos. 105 and 148. Two slightly smaller dishes of similar form to the current example, both with chased decoration, are illustrated in Chinesisches Gold und Silber Die Sammlung Pierre Uldry, Zurich, 1994, nos. 272 and 273. One is gold and the other silver, and both have scrolling flower decoration. The latter also has an eight-character, partly decipherable, inscription and a decorative band around its rim that, while not the same as the current dish, is composed in the same way.
The Carl Kempe collection contains two slightly smaller gold dishes of similar form to the current dish, illustrated in Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, The Museum of Art and Far Eastern Antiquities in Ulricehamn, 1999, pp. 87-8, nos. 49 and 51. Both of these gold dishes have chased decoration of scrolling lotus. Lively dragons like that on the current dish are quite rare on Song silver, but the Uldry collection has two silver-gilt lobed boxes and an oval dish decorated with chased dragons, Chinesisches Gold und Silber Die Sammlung Pierre Uldry, op. cit., no. 281.
This rare Song dynasty silver dish is additionally interesting because of its links with Song Ding ware ceramics. Several scholars have noted the closeness of form between silver and Ding white wares. Indeed some scholars have suggested that the ceramics may have, on occasion, been used to 'fill out' the number of silver vessels in tombs. Both palace collections have Song dynasty white Ding wares of this form. The Palace Museum, Beijing, has one larger dish with incised peony decoration and another with incised lotus. See The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 32 - Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, p. 79, no. 67 and p. 81, no. 72, respectively. The National Palace Museum, Taiwan, has eight of these white Ding ware dishes in various sizes, one with incised phoenixes, two with incised peonies, one with incised chi dragons, and three with molded birds illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Ting Ware White Porcelain, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1987, nos. 84-90. These ceramic dishes provide an indication of the importance of silver dishes, like the current example, not only in the history of Song dynasty silver, but also for their influence on ceramic wares.
The Carl Kempe collection contains two slightly smaller gold dishes of similar form to the current dish, illustrated in Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, The Museum of Art and Far Eastern Antiquities in Ulricehamn, 1999, pp. 87-8, nos. 49 and 51. Both of these gold dishes have chased decoration of scrolling lotus. Lively dragons like that on the current dish are quite rare on Song silver, but the Uldry collection has two silver-gilt lobed boxes and an oval dish decorated with chased dragons, Chinesisches Gold und Silber Die Sammlung Pierre Uldry, op. cit., no. 281.
This rare Song dynasty silver dish is additionally interesting because of its links with Song Ding ware ceramics. Several scholars have noted the closeness of form between silver and Ding white wares. Indeed some scholars have suggested that the ceramics may have, on occasion, been used to 'fill out' the number of silver vessels in tombs. Both palace collections have Song dynasty white Ding wares of this form. The Palace Museum, Beijing, has one larger dish with incised peony decoration and another with incised lotus. See The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 32 - Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, p. 79, no. 67 and p. 81, no. 72, respectively. The National Palace Museum, Taiwan, has eight of these white Ding ware dishes in various sizes, one with incised phoenixes, two with incised peonies, one with incised chi dragons, and three with molded birds illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Ting Ware White Porcelain, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1987, nos. 84-90. These ceramic dishes provide an indication of the importance of silver dishes, like the current example, not only in the history of Song dynasty silver, but also for their influence on ceramic wares.