Sporting seven overlapping petals, this dish was probably inspired by flowers from the mallow family, such as the hollyhock. These lacquer dishes were typically bound with metal rims to protect the thin edges from chipping, a characteristic shared by the white porcelains from the Ding kilns in Hebei province. The form of some classic Song ceramics, such as Ru ware were also likely based on these elegantly-designed lacquer dishes.Lacquer objects are an important aspect of Chinese art and boast a long production history that stretches for more than 3000 years. This dish is a classic example of undecorated lacquerware that was popular during the Song dynasty (960-1279) and represents the understated elegance that typified the aesthetics of the period.
