Chinese Serving Tray with Landscape Motif

Black tray etched with a river scene, where a tiny boat drifts along.

This lacquered elm wood serving tray with landscape motif is from China, and dates to the 20th century. Landscape painting has been central to Chinese art for over a thousand years, and scenes of mountains and water were often adapted to lacquer and other decorative objects. Rectangular dark tray with a raised border and a recessed center panel. Fine pale lines draw misty mountains, a small boat with passengers, a shore with houses and trees. The surface is worn, scratched and softly matte. It is 17 inches wide, 1 deep and 11.5 high.

A whole river, scratched into a very dark lake.