EARLY 18TH CENTURY

Details

A PAIR OF POLYCHROME WOOD RELIEF PANELS
EARLY 18TH CENTURY
Each carved in medium relief, gilded and lacquered to depict precious antique vessels including a bronze gu and gui and other auspicious objects including a ruyi sceptre and pomegranate fruits, shakes and chipped
20½ in. (52 cm.) x 22½ (57 cm.), later black frames (2)

Provenance

The Summer Palace, by tradition

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

The rear of one panel bears a copy of an extract written by a former officer in the Royal Marines:
'I put in one panel, which I looted from the Emperor's Summer Palace ...in China, I never saw anything like it in any other house, panels like this are around the Throne Room in a deep border of ebony, and attracted my attention when the room was on fire, I took six, they are very old, and rare is no word, for I am sure nobody in the world has anything like them, and I saw the remainder swallowed up in the flames...'

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