18TH CENTURY

The display of beautiful, precious or exotic objects was a major part of the decoration in the imperial palaces during the Qing dynasty. These objects were usually displayed on stands of some type—be they integral with the piece or made especially for it. In some cases the object and its stand were simply placed on top of a table or chest, but in other instances a selected group of objects was displayed in an arrangement of display platforms of varying heights. A carved red and black lacquer table screen, dating to the Qianlong period (1736-1795), offered at Christie's New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1352, carved with an arrangement of 'antiques,' depicts a similar scroll-form display stand supporting a bowl filled with finger citron and a small vase.