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Lot Essay
Zen Buddhism was brought to Japan from China in the 13th and 14th centuries and with it came a range of special vessels and utensils, including both ceramic and lacquer pieces in the shape of a flower in full bloom. This Lot is an example of a lobed lacquered tray produced in Japan but following a Chinese original, reflecting the favourable attitude towards mainland culture that prevailed during the 14th and 15th centuries. The inscription in red lacquer on the reverse shows that it was made in 1491 for the living quarters of a senior priest at a Zen temple. A similar example, handed down at Saidaiji temple, Nara, is inscribed as a tenmoku-bon, or tray for carrying several sets of tea bowls and tenmoku-dai [tea-bowl stands]. This tray would thus have been used to serve tea to guests, in a manner similar to that depicted in painted handscrolls of the period. It is a highly important, well-preserved and dated example, of relatively large size and with distinctive lobed decoration.