A RARE MOTHER-OF-PEARL INLAID LOW LACQUER TABLE

Details

A RARE MOTHER-OF-PEARL INLAID LOW LACQUER TABLE
QING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY

The rectangular table top finely inlaid with iridescent mother-of-pearl with a Daoist scene, depicting the appearance of a deity riding a dragon, holding out a shoe to a scholar on horseback crossing an arched bridge over rushing waters, the shaped apron decorated with four cartouches of birds and flowers, against a diaper-ground extending to the slender curved legs above further cartouches of flowers, set atop a similarly decorated stretcher with the addition of Buddhist lions on the top surface
13 1/8 in. (33.3 cm.) high, Japanese wood box

Provenance

A Japanese collection

Lot Essay

The unusual scene depicting an immortal riding a dragon indicates a connection with Daoism. According to Daoist belief, when human beings attained realisation or perfection, zhen, they were often described as ascending to heaven on the back of a dragon. In this instance, the immortal holding a shoe appears to be from an unpublished Daoist story and as such the significance of the shoe is unknown.

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