Eight auspicious emblems, including flaming pearls, a pair of horns, and a pair of books, encircle the character for longevity (shou) in the center of this dish; the same designs are found on the exterior. The dragons on the outer edge all lack one claw. Since five-clawed dragons symbolized the emperor, the claws were likely removed to make the dish suitable for presentation to a member of the nobility or a senior court official.
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Artwork Details
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明嘉靖 剔紅壽字紋八角漆盤
Title:Dish with character for longevity (shou)
Period:Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Jiajing period (1522–66)
Date:mid-16th century
Culture:China
Medium:Carved red lacquer
Dimensions:H. 1 5/16 in. (3.3 cm); Diam. 6 /4 in. (17.1 cm)
Classification:Lacquer
Credit Line:Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015
Accession Number:2015.500.1.41
Marking: Imperial mark “made in the Jiajing era of the Great Ming [dynasty]” incised and filled with gold on the base
[ Spink & Son Ltd. , London, until 1983; sold to Irving]; Florence and Herbert Irving , New York (1983–2015; donated to MMA)
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "East Asian Lacquer from the Florence and Herbert Irving Collection," November 22, 1991–February 23, 1992.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Irving Lacquers," 1998–2000.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Asian Lacquer: Masterpieces from the Florence and Herbert Irving Collection," November 3, 2007–May 11, 2008.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Cinnabar: The Chinese Art of Carved Lacquer," August 6, 2009–February 21, 2010.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Celebration: The Birthday in Chinese Art," February 27–November 28, 2010.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Red and Black: Chinese Lacquer, 13th–16th Century," September 7, 2011–June 10, 2012.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Introduction to Chinese Lacquer," December 11, 2013–July 6, 2014.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Cinnabar: The Chinese Art of Carved Lacquer, 14th to 19th Century," June 15, 2016–October 9, 2017.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Masters and Masterpieces: Chinese Art from the Florence and Herbert Irving Collection," January 30, 2021–June 5, 2022.
Watt, James C. Y., and Barbara Brennan Ford. East Asian Lacquer: The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection. Exh. cat. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1991, pp. 96–97; p. 372, cat. no. 34, fig. 34.
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