A Dingyao carved 'Day-lilies' dishSong DynastyThe shallow dish thinly potted with gently rounded sides rising from a short straight foot, the interior finely carved across the well with curling day-lily blossoms on winding foliate stems, all covered with a rich creamy glaze, box. 17.2cm (6 3/4in) diam. (2).注脚宋 定窯白釉刻萱草紋盤Provenance: Ben Janssens Oriental Art Ltd., LondonAn English private collection來源：英國倫敦古董商，Ben Janssens Oriental Art英國私人收藏Day-lilies (xuancao) gained their name for flowering only for one day. In China it was known as wangyoucao, the 'plant that dispels grief'; yinancao, or 'favouring boy herb' which expressed the desire for male offspring. Boldly-carved decorations featured on Ding ware are a Song dynasty innovation and have a painterly quality. Compare with a related Dingyao dish carved with floral design, Song dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, p.71, pl.62. A related pair of Dingyao dishes, Song dynasty, is illustrated in Bright as Silver: White as Snow: Chinese White Ceramics from Late Tang to Yuan Dynasty, Examples from the Kai-Yin Lo Collection , Hong Kong, 1998, pl.20.