Chinese Export Six Panels Lacquered Screen

Alabaster and marble bookends representing the figures of monks seated on a throne reading a book in the medieval style, made of marble and alabaster The...

Lamp design by J.C.Mahey, in brass, and lacquered garnet wood. Chrome metal. The measurements are of the base.

Chandelier lamp from French 1960s, is made of fruit wood in the central base. With brass applications, from which you get six torch-shaped lights, also in brass The lamp shades are ...

Late 19th century dark brown lacquered mirror, molded and stepped borders, in Baroque style.

Huge brown lacquered table lamp, J.C. Mahey style, with a gilt metal frame base.

Desk table lamp, from the 1940s, made of Bakelite, lacquered metal and brass. The ignition is done by rotating the brass circle at the base, it has three bulbs and the shade is curr...

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

Gorgeous Chinese export six-panel lacquered folding screen featuring idyllic gilt landscape scenes. Each panel is decorated with a painted scene...

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

Beautifully weathered Chinese export four-panel coromandel screen decorated on both sides. The screen features a pavilion landscape on one side and a floral and fauna landscape on th...

Grand scale Chinese export twelve-panel Coromandel screen featuring a pagoda garden pavilion with figures engaged in leisurely activities. The panels are intricately carved with thic...

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.  China, Canton, Qing dynasty, 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...