Page 42 - Christie's Asian Art Auctions PARIS December 2019

AN EXCEPTIONAL COROMANDEL LACQUER SCREEN
DEPICTING BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS ON NAN’AO ISLAND, Buddha hand citron, vase fowers, literary scrolls, and the like. Zeng The border on the other side is similarly decorated with auspicious motifs.
Huagai passed the jinshi examination in 1670 (Kangxi 9). Yang Jiarui was In the centre, though the painting is reminiscent of the commonly-seen
KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722) the frst Qing commander at the Nan’ao General Headquarters. The rest birthday congratulatory format, e.g., Guoziyibaishou (Guo Ziyi Receiving
of the 21 people were oficers and soldiers in the south-eastern coastal Birthday Felicitations), Hangonchunxiao (Spring Morning in the Han Palace),
Guo Weiqi, Head of the Art History Department at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts
areas. Gifting folding screens as a form of birthday present was popular and Qunxianheshou (Saints/Immortals Ofering Birthday Congratulations),
in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Besides their appearance in bijixiaoshuo the scene is in fact uniquely meaningful. It can be seen as a map illustrating
(literary sketches), many screens have survived to this day. During the the southeast waters of China, as well as an engaging painting of the people
This magnifcent 12-panel coromandel lacquer screen from the embellished with gold and silver. The present screen is a masterpiece Kangxi period, coromandel screens were more prominent; golden celebrating a birthday on Nan’ao Island. On the right, the island of Nan’ao
Kangxi period stands 290 cm tall and circa 625 cm wide. In 2004, in its own right. Intrinsically detailed and vibrantly coloured, the lacquer screens only became more popular in late Qing. Written in 1699 is seen, where the castle city disproportionately occupies the heart of the
it was exhibited in the Palace of Versailles in Paris, as illustrated in human fgures, architecture, landscape, boat vessels and auspicious (10 th year of the Kangxi reign), this birthday congratulatory message island. The layout of the castle city, walls, gates and buildings is consistent
the catalogue Kangxi Empereur de Chine 1662-1722: La cité interdite patterns are highly sumptuous. The ocean waves interspersed across was dedicated to General Zhou Hongsheng, the second commander at with the Nan’ao maps illustrated in the annals published in the Kangxi
à Versailles (Kangxi Emperor of China 1662-1722: The Forbidden the scene are depicted in amazing details that suggest the calibre of the Nan’ao General Headquarters, in celebration of his sixtieth birthday, period. Meanwhile, the Nan’ao General Headquarters, where the celebration
City in Versailles). This type of decorative screen is often called craftsmanship. coinciding with his second year in Nan’ao. Before his stint in Nan’ao, he is taking place, is also disproportionately depicted at the centre of the castle
coromandel lacquer screen in Europe. They are actually kuancai The front of the screen is a continuous scene, while the reverse distinguished himself in the battles in Taku, Tianjin, as well as in Kangxi- city. Huge banners with the character shuai (commander-in-chief) wave
coloured lacquer folding screens as noted in Xiushilu (On Lacquer is decorated with celebratory inscriptions. The inscriptions are led battles against Galdan Khan, for which he was honoured by the valiantly at the front of the Headquarters. Though echoing the scene from
Decoration) compiled by Ming-period scholar Huang Dacheng. presented by Zeng Huagai, a local socialite in Nan’ao, in beautiful emperor, who rewarded Zhou with his personal imperial battle armour. A Guo Ziyi Receiving Birthday Felicitations, the people in the painting are
The technique is used to decorate folding screens where lacquer regular script, while gold powder is added to the varnish. A list of 22 dozen woodblock printed volumes, including Longmenxianzhi (Longmen actually “real” people. The commander sits imposingly in the main hall, in
is applied over a softwood core. Then, similar to woodblock cutting, people, including Yang Jiarui, ofer their birthday congratulations at County Annals) during Kangxi reign and Jiangnantongzhi (General front of which deer and Manchurian cranes roam the courtyard. Seemingly
patterns and designs are carved out of the lacquer layer. The resulting the end of the inscriptions. The borders are adorned with auspicious History of Jiangnan), all had records about Zhou. comparable to a normal birthday congratulatory screen, the real-life details
grooves are flled in with coloured lacquer or oil paint, and sometimes “hundred antiques” emblems — wine vessels, treasured swords,

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