A MAGNIFICENT HUANGHUALI TWELVE-PANEL SCREEN, WEIPING

Details

A MAGNIFICENT HUANGHUALI TWELVE-PANEL SCREEN, WEIPING
LATE 17TH/EARLY 18TH CENTURY

Comprising twelve narrow joined panels, each of the end ones with a vertical border of three openwork, carved rectangles depicting vases containing various blossoming branches, including peonies, peach and prunus, against a background of chi dragons and scrolls, the lower portion of each panel well carved with double-faced openwork divided into an upper, rectangular section depicting a qilin, above an almost square section with sinuous chi dragons surrounding a stylized shou character, itself above an apron with a ruyi head and square meander, all set against a ground of interlocked chi dragons and clouds, the top of each panel with alternating apertures of a circle, a leaf or a fan silhouetted against openwork, all the carved areas finely finished on both sides, each foot wrapped in a brass alloy mount, the pivot hinges of baitong
126in. (320cm.) high, 271 3/4in. (690cm.) long, 1 1/8in. (3cm.) deep

Literature

Sarah Handler, "The Chinese Screen: Movable Walls to Divide, Enhance and Beautify", JCCFS, Summer 1993, pp. 22-29
Wang et al., Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, p. 156, no. 73

Further details

END OF SALE

Lot Essay

The quality of the carving on this screen is extremely fine. Indeed, in Wang et al., it is described as "the best remaining example of its type"

A comparable twelve-panel screen, but without the upper 'cut-out' apertures, was sold in our Hong Kong saleroom, October 30-31, 1994, lot 419

Compare, also, the eighteenth century twelve-panel screen included by John Kwang-Ming Ang in the exhibition, The Beauty of Huanghuali, and illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 26. While the background scrollwork and large lower panels containing stylized shou characters recall the motifs on the present screen, the quality of the carving on the present screen is finer and more detailed. See, also, the twelve-panel Kangxi screen with stylized auspicious characters against scrollwork, inset with the original paintings, belonging to Charles R. Gracie and Sons Inc., illustrated by Sarah Handler, "The Chinese Screen", JCCFS, Summer 1993, pp. 26-27