2 large Oriental screens
20
A Chinese brown and polychrome painted Coromandel lacquer twelve fold screen
Kangxi period (1662-1722)
One side depicting a continuous scene of pavilions and gardens populated by dignitaries and attendants with laden horses entering the scene on one side, the perimeter decorated with precious utensils and dragons above panels filled with flowers, rockwork and birds all outlined with narrow borders of key pattern and flowers, the reverse with calligraphy surrounded by panels of mountainous scenery above wild animals in naturalistic settings all within conforming floral and key pattern borders, with restorations to the lacquer, each leaf 44cm wide, 292cm high (17" wide, 114.5" high)
Estimate:
£20,000 - 30,000
€24,000 - 36,000
US$ 30,000 - 46,000

Footnotes

  • A closely related ten-fold screen (lacking two panels) sold Sotheby's New York
    'Property from the Collections of Lily and Edmond J. Safra', 3 November 2005,
    lot 118. A further comparable screen sold Bonhams, London, Fine Chinese Art,
    10 November 2011, lot 458.

    An approximate French translation of the scripts in old Chinese on the reverse of the screen is available on request.
    According to the translation of the scripts, the screen would have been a diplomatic present, in 1663, from WANG SHAO JIN to Mrs DENG JIE "Lady of the Supreme Peace by Imperial Decree".
    The scripts open with: "On the sixtieth birthday of Mrs DENG JIE, Lady of the Supreme Peace by Imperial Decree", and finish as such: "2nd year of the reign of KANG XI (1663), the 2nd day of February, first day of spring. WANG SHAO JIN prostrates before you with congratulations".
    Further scripts describe the life and merits of the DENG family with references to 'Mrs Wu' and her son 'Master Deng', a civil servant, who were complimented for their noble virtues and services to the community, which were rewarded by the Imperial powers circa 1620. Another panel narrates the story of 'Mr Sheng Mang' who succeeded his father as Governor of the Shandong region in 1663.

    Provenance:
    - Château de Boumois, Saint Martin de la Place near Saumur, France.

Category: Furniture / European Furniture and Works of Art

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