Beschreibung:

A MAGNIFICENT AND EXTREMELY RARE EARLY MING CARVED 'XIWANGMU' CINNABAR LACQUER FOLIATED DISH
A MAGNIFICENT AND EXTREMELY RARE EARLY MING CARVED 'XIWANGMU' CINNABAR LACQUER FOLIATED DISH HONGWU PERIOD (1368-1398) Exquisitely carved on the interior medallion with a landscape scene depicting the Daoist immortal, Xiwangmu, dressed in long flowing robes, holding a tablet in front of her face, her head framed by an aureole, standing on a diaper-ground before two maidens holding feathered fans and another holding a tray supporting a 'flaming pearl', greeted by two pilgrims bearing gifts that are symbolic of longevity including a tortoise, lingzhi fungus and double-gourds, all against a background including a fruiting peach tree, a gnarled pine tree, and a crane in flight descending from wispy clouds, the near distance with a deer gamboling beside rockwork, surrounded by pairs of floral blooms enclosed within eight bracket-lobed panels, repeated on the exterior, the conforming bracket form foot carved with a keyfret band, the interior with black lacquer 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm.) wide, box