Mid-19th Century Panelling

French Directoire style bronze wall mounted panels, the classic X-frame panels with central diamond made from molten enamel. So stylish, these panels can be wall mounted to give ...

Fascinating Chinese Qing style 20th century eight panel folding table screen. The panels each features an idyllic landscape scene with a Chinese poem and artist seal. The reverse sid...

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...

Eight-Panel Reversible Chinese Coromandel Screen Pair of French chinoiserie screens, Paris, 1920s This French chinoiserie screens from the ...

Dramatic Asian five panel screen fragment of a larger painted screen. The screen features a lacquered canvas over a wood frame depicting neoclassical style column architecture with f...

Cette importante boiserie de style Louis XVI à été réalisée à la fin du XXe siècle. Les panneaux de couleurs jaune clair présentent un décor en stuc à l’an...

Elegant six panel lacquered wallpaper screen made in the style and manner of Gracie. The screen is two-sided and depicts an idyllic flora and fauna l...

Stunning 20th century Chinese export lacquered six-panel coromandel screen depicting a lush courtyard over a dramatic gold leaf ground. The lacquered panels are incised and painted w...

Large pair of 19th century French carved wood pharmacy panels with bowl of Hygieia symbol. Bowl of Hygieia is one of the symbols of pharmacology. I...

Pair of large Chinese Chinoiserie panels. Classic delicate style with bamboo, flowers, birds, and figures. Rich colors of blue, red, green on a cream...

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

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...