Dish

1662

1795

1.5

13

HKU.L.1966.0299

This small black lacquer dish with a low rounded rim is inlaid with soft mother-of-pearl decorations. Such dish was found ubiquitous in the Qing dynasty along with its unique mother-of-pearl inlay technique, which depicts the prevailing art style in the era. The interior of the dish contains an inlay design of two men in a garden, with a heavy Ming-Qing dynasty cultural ambience reflecting from the clothing and background of the art. Various designs can be seen in similar lacquer dishes, such as iconic scenes from classical novels, nature sceneries, and the daily lives of the people.

The soft mother-of-pearl inlay technique is exquisitely intricate, the artisans need to carefully select high-quality mother-of-pearls, then peel and cut the shells into fine pieces, which are then inlaid into the lacquer dishes piece by piece. After further polishing, the dishes glow in vibrant hues. In some cases, gold and silver shavings are added to enhance the quality and visuals of the dishes. Although these black lacquer wares were popular across the country, they were explicitly common in the household of aristocrats, wealthy merchants and literati. Such lacquer dishes for instance were widely used in banquets to imply their luxurious lifestyle and social class.