SONG DYNASTY (AD 960-1279)

The function of the bowl stand is very similar to that of a saucer. As steaming bowls of tea had no handles, they were placed on stands when served, so as not to burn the fingers of the recipient, and also to provide a stable support for bowls, which often have narrow bases. A related example of a plain brown lacquer bowl stand, supported on a slightly higher foot ring, from the Yixing district, Jiangsu province, is illustrated in Zhongguo Meishu Quanji, vol. 8, Lacquerware, Beijing, 1989, no. 93.