QING DYNASTY, 17TH/18TH CENTURY

As well as being used for decorative purposes, screens such as the present example were valuable accessories for the discerning scholar's table. Not only would they help shield the scholar's implements from unwelcome drafts but they would also allow him to retain a degree of privacy in his writing or painting. For a further discussion on their use, refer to S. Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, London, 2001, p. 282.