Quintessential Things Home Accents

Beautifully weathered patina Chinese export lacquered coromandel screen with six double sided panels. The screen features a mountain landscape on one si...

Hand made Folk Art American wire metal and painted wood birdcage, probably from Pennsylvania circa 1905. Having a rectangular body with a dome top; suitable for hanging, or surface decorative presentation, this birdcage is functional albeit it lacks a perch. The single door entry/exit is spring loaded, and there is a metal slide out removable tray at the bottom. The tole painting...

A particularly elegant and gracefully designed Tall Standing Birdcage in white-painted metal. With a hexagonal domed top with scrolled and pointed finial. The hexagonal wire cage overlaid with spidery thin branches with a large door and a small door at the bottom on one side with a pull-out drawer below. With a grillework insert inside. Raised on six double scrolled legs...

French Art Deco griffin bookends by Georges LIMOUSIN (Paris), France, early 1920s. Crafted from spelter and marble, these bookends feature majestic griffins, a striking symbol of str...

Chinese export smaller scale four-panel lacquered dressing screen room divider with hand-painted decoration on both sides. One side depicts a charming continuous pavilion scene with...

Continental probably Swedish painted pine trunk, 19th century. With original paint, front and sides with dovetail construction.

1285 Scandinavian hand painted storage original hand forged hardware. Angled sides with hand dovetail joinery with remnants of original paint.  

A pair of French Art Deco bookends, circa 1930, featuring two stylized fish designs. Crafted from a combination of spelter, glass, and marble, these bookends showcase the clean lines...

Celestial Chinese export coromandel four-panel screen depicting figures in colorful robes in a heavenly landscape among the white clouds. Eac...

Mid-20th century, dark crocodile hide exterior, satin interior and custom fitted canvas cover. Individual characteristics are as follows: Suitcase has w...

Monumental Chinese export twelve-panel red lacquered Coromandel screen of Chinese mythological Daoist character Xiwangmu (Queen mother of the West). Remarkable large scale screen full of vibrant color on incised lacquer...

A superbly decorative six-panel lacquered 'Coromandel' screen, exquisitely carved and hand-painted with oriental figures, flowers and exotic beasts on a dark brown background, in the traditional 17th century manner.  Late 19th – early 20th century. Why we like it We like its impressive proportions which make it perfect for a feature wall, and the exquisite quality of decoration. The subtlety of colours lends a 'soft' look to the piece. The central motif depicts a scene set in the gardens of a Han dynasty palace, while the outer borders are decorated with the “one hundred antiques” motif interspersed with floral arrangements. In this regard, the present screen not only conveys auspicious meanings but also demonstrate the owner’s fine scholarly taste. History The term 'Coromandel', which is used to describe this particular type of lacquer technique (kuancai), is rather misleading. In the 18th century it was used commercially to indicate the place from which these objects were shipped to England through the East India Companies, and had no reference to China, the place of their origin. Similarly, Chinese painted wallpaper was often called 'India paper' in historic documants. The kuancai lacquer technique, literally meaning “cut out colour” and found almost exclusively on screens, emerged in the 16th century to serve the domestic market. The iconographic elements were carved through the built-up coats of dark lacquer and filled with pigments and gold. Seventeenth century examples usually consisted of twelve panels, and were often employed in entrance halls or as room dividers or windscreens for gardens and terraces. They were often commissioned as gifts and depicted court scenes, episodes from the world of the immortals, panoramic or landscape views and auspicious symbols. This type of lacquerware was flourishing during the reign of the Kangxi emperor (1662-1722) and saw a revival in the 19th century. Stylistically the present screen may be compared with the twelve-panel lacquer screen from the Kangxi period in the Victoria and Albert Museum illustrated by W. De Kesel and G. Dhont in Coromandel Lacquer Screens, ill. 23, pps 36-37. Such luxurious items were popular in England during the height of fashion for oriental exoticism, called chinoiserie in Europe. In the 20th century, Coromandel screens still remained a staple in the European interior design. Coco Chanel had a collection of 32 rare Coromandel screens, which she proudly displayed in her home at 31 Rue Cambom, Paris. She one...