A Spectacular Set of 4 Antique Chinese Export Hand-Painted Wallpaper Panels

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A Spectacular Set of 4 Antique Chinese Export Hand-Painted Wallpaper Panels

About the Item

A rare set of four Chinese wallpaper panels, each with a pale mint-green ground and expansive hand-painted landscapes with figures; the upper registers depicting sinuous bamboo entwined with blossoming vines and tendrils amid flowering Peony trees, the upper borders with black and white butterflies and song birds flitting among the foliage; the middle ground composed of a pond with rocky outcroppings, figures, and playful children all dressed in colorful Qing Period costume, one group playing hide and seek; the foreground of the water’s edge finely rendered filled with pink and white lotus blossoms and occasional shorebirds; each panel with custom hand-painted faux-bamboo frame by Aedicule Framing, San Francisco. Date: circa 1800-20 Good condition with minor losses and water stains consistent with age; upper borders slightly reduced in height. Chinese wallpaper or “India paper” appears in Britain and Europe by the late 17th century shipped by traders with the East India Trading Company along with silk, tea and porcelain. The exotic and expensive papers were first displayed as free standing panels and later produced in sets of 25 to 40 panels to fit the large rooms of Country estates throughout the middle to late 18th century. The panels were likely executed by skilled craftsmen in the port of Guangzhou (Canton) where production was solely for export trade to the West. Scholars have identified three primary scenes of Chinese wallpaper, Figures in everyday pursuits including rice cultivation or court scenes; flowering floral patterns centered on sinuous trees issuing from naturalistic rock work bases with birds and insects and flowering trees and figures. These four panels appear to be a hybrid composition, combining figures and the flowering trees with insects and birds. This combination of exotic landscapes and complex figural compositions start to appear in the 1790s and through to the first half of the 19th century. A similar design to the subject panels offered here grace the cover of Emile e Bruijn’s new book, Chinese Wallpaper in Britain and Ireland (Wilson, London, 2019) and were hung at Belton House, Lincolnshire, England. NOTES: Although Chinese wallpaper scenes do not have specific narratives, the overall theme of the subject panels may be related to youth. The Chinese associate various attributes to natural flora and fauna; for example, the flowering Peonies indicated rank as well as wealth and honor. Bamboo may symbolize humility while the butterfly represents immortality or young love. The large lotus, an important flower in Asian culture, symbolizes the holy seat of Buddha and purity.

Dimensions:
Height: 103 in (261.62 cm)Width: 48 in (121.92 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 4
Style:
Chinese Export (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Paper,Hand-Crafted,Painted
Place of Origin:
China
Period:
Early 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1800-1820
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses, some creasing; overall very attractive condition. Please contact us for a more complete condition report.
Seller Location:
San Francisco, CA
Reference Number:
Seller: C819-51stDibs: LU855216155101