Description

The circular basin, the central medallion finely painted with two fish around a mythical bird, in red on a brown ground. The cavetto painted in dark brown and red with a geometric band. The rim covered in gilt-copper.

Compare a similarly painted basin but decorated in black on red lacquer (fig. 6), illustrated in Zhongguoqiqiquanji2 zhanguo-qin pp. 128, no. 113. Sir Harry Garner describes this group of vessels with fine and fluent line paintings, instead of the wider brush strokes found on normal wares, as Imperial style wares made for the nobility of the time. These were mainly made in Imperial factories set up by the court, three of which, in Chengdu, Guanghan and Henan, were devoted to the manufacture of lacquer wares.