QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Details

A RARE IMPERIAL EMBELLISHED THREE-COLOUR LACQUER WALL PANEL
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)
Embellished with soapstone, ivory, zitan, jichimu, jade, porcelain and mother of pearl with precious objects on fitted stands, including a ruyi scepter, a bowl containing three Buddha's hand citrons, a fanghu, narcissus bowl and a table stand suspending a tasselled chime and twin fish, all reserved on a finely carved wan diaper ground, set within the red, green and ochre lacquer frame carved with a continuous floral scroll between borders of key fret, interrupted at the bottom by a shaped apron carved with archaistic scroll, with brass phoenix-form hardware at the top
25¾ x 44 1/8 in. (65.4 x 112 cm.)

Provenance

Acquired in Hong Kong in 1948, and thence by descent within the family to the present owner.

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory, tortoiseshell and crocodile. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

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Lot Essay

Embellished panels of this type, inlaid with ivory, wood, jade and other precious materials, can be found in a myriad of arrangements and subject matter, and served as imperial furnishings throughout the Palace rooms. See, for example, several panels in-situ in the Forbidden City, illustrated in Ming Qing Gong Ting Jia Ju Da Guan, Beijing, pp. 695-701. However, perhaps the most similar in shape is the mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer wall panel in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 207, no. 179, where it is dated to the Yongzheng/Qianlong period. (Fig.1) Of particular note, in addition to the shape of the panel, is the closely related carving style found on the lacquer frame,suggesting that the two may have come from the same workshop.

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