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Saucer with two chi dragons

14th–15th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This elegant saucer features an unusual design—two sinuous dragons covered with hair rather than scales. Their complex layout amid floral scrolls matches compositions often seen on works from the early Ming period. The saucer also has carving that is distinctively sharp and deep with less polished corners. These elements suggest that the piece is an early example of Yunnan carving, a lacquer school attributed to the Yunnan region of southwest China that developed from the fourteenth to sixteenth century.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 明　雕漆剔黑雙螭紋承盤
  • Title: Saucer with two chi dragons
  • Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
  • Date: 14th–15th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Carved black lacquer
  • Dimensions: H. 7/8 in. (2.3 cm); Diam. 7 3/16 in. (18.3 cm); Diam. of foot 5 1/16 in. (12.8 cm)
  • Classification: Lacquer
  • Credit Line: Lent by a private collection
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art