A fine jade, ivory and hard-stone-inlaid lacquer screen. Early 20th century, the jade pieces from the Ming and Qing periods
Consisting of six panels, each carved with a square, a large oblong and a round panel of black lacquer, showing vases, display objects and flowering branches. The vases and their stands are made of carved and painted ivory, the bodies of the vases are inlaid with carved jade plaques, some of them rendered in openwork. The vases are filled either with leafy branches with carnelian flowers and fruits respectively, or small gadgets. Other plaques and figurative works are equally displayed on richly carved and painted ivory ornamental stands. The black lacquer panels, set into a frame on two feet between a curved apron, are rendered in carved red lacquer with floral reserves. The reverse is lacquered black. Metal hooks connect the panels to each other.
Each panel 183.5 x 41 cm; total length 248 cm
A screen like this one follows the tradition of large lacquer screens that were given as gifts on the occasion of birthdays and anniversaries, on the one hand, and the wood-framed lacquer panels with representations of objects associated with the scholar's desk, inlaid in various materials such as enamel cloisonné, stone and organic materials, on the other hand.
Old artistic and collector’s objects could be displayed on panels and on screens such as this one in a novel way. A jade collector, who kept his treasures in boxes, shelves and cupboards, could make them permanently visible by mounting his treasures on panels. Hung in reception rooms or displayed on a screen, they were visible to visitors and testified to the owner’s sophistication.
In eighteenth-century panels, individual jade plaques and carvings were enhanced by being mounted on ivory stands (cf. Bonhams, London, 15.5.2014, lot 373). On the present screen the polychromy with artificial abrasion of the ivory socles add to the carvings’ antique appearance. The jade works include round plaques, possibly removed from ruyi sceptres, pendants, small scholar’s desk objects, belt hooks and small jade flowers, which were sewn onto garments in the Song period - and are perhaps of later date. It is also possible that some of the carvings originate from older panels. Such a screen is a fine example of adaptation and an innovative re-use of art objects.
剔紅框嵌百寶博古屏風 (共六扇)
玉石、象牙源於明清時期,屏風制於二十世紀初
來源:德國北部私人收藏,1971年購於美國
十八世紀以及之後時期的屏木鑲玉為原始地展示藝術品提供了新的契机。玉器收藏家通常將其收藏之珍品置於盒子內或架子上,而將其鑲嵌在屏木上,則可使這些珍品長久地展示於世。將掛屏裝飾在接待室或制成屏風,既便於訪客參觀,又能彰顯主人的高雅品位。
十八世紀常見的作法是,通過將玉牌或其他玉雕嵌置在象牙座架上以彰顯其精致 (參見倫敦 Bonhams,2014年5月15 日,拍品 373)。 此件拍品象牙配件彩畫的人工磨損使象牙呈現出一種刻意的仿古風格。屏風上大部分玉器多為圓或橢圓形, 可能取自如意、掛件、擺件、帶鉤或為宋時縫在衣服上的小玉花, 部分源自明清。在此也並不排除部分玉件從更古老的屏風上被取下的可能性。 此件屏風是“再循環”和創造性地重新利用藝術品的一個很好的例子。
Provenance
Private property, Northern Germany acquired in the United States in 1971