Page 109 - Christie's, Important Chinese Works of Art December 2, 2015 HK

A Hardwood Embellished
‘Dragon and Clouds’ Screen

Zhang Rong –
Research Fellow – Palace Museum, Beijing

The present screen measures 288 cm high and 680 cm wide, and
is comprised of ten panels. The basic material for the construction
used for the framework is hardwood. The front-facing side is of
with eight panels split into two registers, all within gilt-lacquered
frames. The upper section is embellished with silk paintings
depicting dragons amidst clouds above waves breaking against
rocks. The five dragons within each panel are similarly painted.
The border is decorated with bats amidst clouds. The two end
panels are also designed in upper and lower section format.
The panel’s upper section is in openwork with scrolling leaves
opening into two cartouches. The upper cartouche is set with
a panel containing sixty Shou characters; the lower cartouche is
embellished with kesi depicting descending bat suspending a Shou
roundel. The lower register of the main panels are each decorated
with gilt and polychrome lacquers to depict a floral basket on a
black lacquer ground. The reverse facing side of the large screen is
also divided into two registers: the upper register reserves an ogee
panel containing silk paintings of floral sprays. This is above a
cartouche containing kesi panel of ornamental rocks issuing flower
sprays. The lower section of the screen is decorated with purple
lacquer embellished with formalised bamboo veneer scrolls on
each of the four corners. This type of bamboo used is known as
“Xiangfei” bamboo. The bamboo corners are placed to surround
a full-faced dragon medallion above waves breaking against rocks,
all reserved on a brocade ground, and further bordered with a pair
of ascending and descending stylised bats.

Many different decorative techniques were employed in the
making of this massive imperial piece of furniture including: wood
carving, painting, kesi, lacquer, and bamboo veneer. The dominant
decoration is paintings with coloured pigments including the front
eight panels depicting dragons amidst clouds, and the reverse side
with ten panels of floral paintings.

During the early Qing dynasty Kangxi,Yongzheng and Qianlong
periods, many palaces were built which required the skills of the
best artists and artisans. Among notable artists who worked at the
imperial workshops were Tang Dai, Gao Qipei, and Jiang Tingxi.
The type of work varied depending on the requirement nature
of the building’s design. Tang Dai adopted a formal style and
followed the ‘Four Wangs’; and Jiang Tingxi adopted the flower
paintings ofYun Shouping of the Kangxi period. These two artists
are the most influential court artists active during the late Kangxi