18TH/19TH CENTURY

Details

A PAIR OF KESI PANELS IN INLAID ZITAN DOUBLE-GOURD-FORM FRAMES
18TH/19TH CENTURY
Each panel very finely woven and painted with scenes depicting the Dragon Boat Festival, both with elaborate river landscapes showing figures rowing long, slender dragon-headed boats amongst sampans, with onlookers standing on the banks of the river, set in zitan double-gourd-form frames, inlaid with bone and various stones, including lapis and jade to create a leafy vine bearing further double-gourds, the inner border picked out in gold, the reverse of both gilt-lacquered with the bajixiang amidst clouds and flittering bats, with bronze mounts in the form of a lotus flower borne on scrolling tendrils attached at the top
39¼ in. (99.8 cm.) high (2)

Lot Essay

The annual Dragon Boat Festival was held on the 5th day of the 5th moon, during which the long boats raced up and down the river in pairs to the sound of horns and other loud instruments. A depiction of such a festival can be seen in a large 18th century kesi panel in the Victoria and Albert Museum, illustrated by R. Fry et al., Chinese Art, Burlington Magazine Monographs, London, 1925, Textile pl. 7. Five of these boats are shown surrounded by smaller craft and crowds on the shore, and they are of similar form to the present boats.

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