A fine Unusual tray carved in the form of a banana leaf made from Kuwa wood. The banana leaf is stylistically carved with various folds and the slight tears often seen naturally with banana leaves. In the literati tradition, banana leaves were used by scholar recluses as paper to write calligraphy. Later, this motif was incorporated into other forms of art making the image one of the symbols of the literati aesthetics, signed Shozan with box. Age: mid 20th century Size: length 36" width 12" height 1.25"