Chinese Plate or Tray with Outdoor Court Scenes

Red lacquer, a garden, and a very long afternoon.

This round plate or tray was made in China in the 20th century from bamboo, finished in red. Trays of this kind were commonly made to hold fruit or sweets, and many carry painted scenes from daily and courtly life. A garden fills the face with small cream-and-gold figures set among trees and rocks, some gathered in a pavilion. The red ground is slightly worn at the rim, where the dark underlying material shows through.

About twelve inches across. Hang it on a wall, and the wall gets social.