Page 44 - Chinese Decorative Arts: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 55, no. 1 (Summer, 1997)

Pair Table screens
of
to
Ming Qing dynasty, 17th century
Ivory
H. each 1o 1/2 in. (26.7 cm)
John Stuart
Kennedy Fund, 1913
13.220.62
ingle panels supported by wooden stands
are one of the earliest formats for screens.
They are illustrated in Han-dynasty tomb
murals and in Japanese paintings dating from
the Heian (794-II85) and Kamakura (II85-
1333) periods. Few room-size examples from
China or Japan are extant. However, Ming-
and Qing-dynasty paintings record their use
as backdrops for seated figures portraits or
in
for groups in landscapes. In addition, table
screens in the format of this ivory pair were
in
produced many materials from the seven-
teenth to the nineteenth century.
Ducks floating quiet waters under droop-
on
ing plants are incised into one of the Museum's
screens, while small birds (possibly turtle-
doves) are shown perched on plum branches
on the other. The one-corner composition of
both scenes and the careful detailing of the
birds and plants places these representations
in the tradition of Chinese court and profes-
sional painting, which is rooted in the art of
the Southern Song. It is likely, however, that
the images on these screens were taken from
illustrated books rather than actual paintings,
because such volumes, which were widely dis-
tributed after the sixteenth century, were often
consulted by craftsmen such as ivory carvers.
Poems are engraved into the backs of both
screens. On the back of the screen with the
ducks is part of a work by Zhu Xi (1130-1200),
who is noted for his philosophical writings and
seminal contributions to the development of

Neo-Confucianism. It describes the tranquil was noted for his greed and, ironically, later
sound of the water in which the ducks swim. came to signify good taste because of the
The unidentified poem on the other screen quality of the objects he had amassed
refers to the opening of the petals of a tea plum, in his collection. DPL
to
helping identify the plants on the front.
Three seals accompany each poem. A leaf-
shaped seal at the beginning of both reads
"shan shu" (dwelling in the mountains). A
circular seal reading "yu tang" (jade hall) and
a square example reading "zhen wan" (auspi-
cious plaything) are at the ends. These two
refer to Yan Song (1480-I566), one of the more
infamous ministers in Chinese history, who

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