Page 86 - Fine Chinese Art Bonhams London May 2018

THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN
士紳藏品

71 TP
A RARE COROMANDEL TEN-LEAF LACQUER ‘PALACE’
SCREEN
Cyclically dated to Dingmao year, corresponding to 1687 and of the
period
Exquisitely decorated on one side with a detailed palace scene
showing a delegation approaching from the far right, a flag with the
character shuai flies above and stands next to the gate, in the centre
of the enclosed palace is a dignitary, entertained by dancers, the rear
of the palace with courtly ladies and ponds, the border decorated
with chi-dragons, the reverse with a long dedicatory inscription by the
scholar Gong Zhang in fine xingshu calligraphy in gold, further to the
left the names of donors.
208.1cm (81 7/8in) high x 502cm (197 1/2in) wide. (10).

£70,000 - 100,000
CNY630,000 - 890,000

清康熙 丁卯年（公元1687年） 褐漆彩繪樓閣園遊圖十開屏風

Provenance: Marquis de Trazegnies
Gisele Croes Arts D’Extreme Orient, Brussels
A Belgian private collection, acquired from the above on 21 June 1990

來源： Marquis de Trazegnies
布魯塞爾古董商Gisele Croes Arts D’Extreme Orient
比利時私人收藏，於1990年6月21日購自上者

The present lot was destined for the domestic market and not for The lengthy encomium on the reverse was written by the official and
export, as is clearly demonstrated by the lengthy inscription. educator Gong Zhang. Originally from Guishan County (now Huizhou),
at age 24 he was of the highest-grade exam candidates. In 1673,
Such screens were highly expensive and laborious to produce, Gong achieved the highest degree of jinshi and became in charge
and were aimed at high-ranking officials, scholars and gentry who of the Hanlin examiners. He later hosted the exams in the Jiangnan
commissioned them to commemorate important events. The present region and passed many famous scholars.
lot appears to have been commissioned by a group of officials who
are named on the far left, for the birthday of General Meng Wengjin Several coromandel lacquer screens with similar scenes of palaces
夢翁金. The long dedicatory essay was written by Gong Zhang 龔章 and processions, Kangxi, are illustrated by W.De Kesel and G.Dhont in
(1637–1695). Coromandel: Lacquer Screens, Gent, 2002, pp.40-44. See also further
examples illustrated by M.Beurdeley, Le Mobilier Chinois: Le Guide du
The palatial scene on the screen depicts a reception or banquet given Connaiseur, Fribourg, pp.135-142.
by General Guo Ziyi 郭子儀 (697-781), a celebrated figure who was
credited with saving the Tang dynasty by putting down the An Shi Compare also with a related twelve-leaf screen with palatial scenes,
rebellion. He was later made a prince and eventually deified in popular Kangxi, dated to 1681, which was sold at Sotheby’s London, 8 March
culture as a God of Wealth and Happiness. The subject would have 2016, lot 111.
made this screen a highly appropriate birthday gift for a military general
such as Meng Wengjin.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
84 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.