<em>Dish Depicting a Dragon Amongst Foliage</em>, 1522-1566. Carved cinnabar lacquer on wood, diameter: 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Patricia Falk, from the Collection of Pauline B. and Myron S. Falk, Jr., 2003.30. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2003.30_SL1.jpg)

Dish Depicting a Dragon Amongst Foliage

Medium: Carved cinnabar lacquer on wood

Geograhical Locations:

Dates:1522-1566

Dimensions: diameter: 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm)

Collections:

Accession Number: 2003.30

Image: 2003.30_SL1.jpg,

Catalogue Description:
Low dish in red and yellow lacquer, carved with a decoration of a lung dragon cavorting amid clouds and lotus flowers, auspicious symbols of purity and fruitfulness, over a lower border of waves and mountains. One of the claws on each foot of the lung has been scraped away, probably to hide the fact that this plate was originally intended for imperial use. The rim of the plate contains the pa pao, or Eight Precious Things. On the base is the reign mark of the Jiajing emperor, incised into the lacquer and then painted in gold.

Brooklyn Museum