Page 120 - Bonhams Chinese and Himalayan Paintings June 2016

PROPERTY FROM VARIOUS OWNERS

8208
A FOUR-PANEL WOOD FLOOR SCREEN INSET
WITH POLYCHROME ENAMELED PLAQUES
Republic period
Each vertical panel comprised of three central sections, the topmost
each centered by circular plaques depicting four sages perhaps in
the style of Wang Qi; the middle panels covered by tall rectangular
plaques of landscapes perhaps in the style of Wang Xiaoting and an
unidentified later artist; and the bottom sections enclosing quadrilobate
bird and flower plaques perhaps in the style of Liu Yucen.
55 1/2in (141cm) total height of vertical panels;
8, 14 1/2, and 8 3/4in (20.2, 37, 22.2cm) visual heights of plaques

$25,000 - 35,000

民國 彩 紋 板一組四件

Provenance
Purchased in Hong Kong in the mid-20th century, by repute

Though none of the plaques in this lot are signed, they are all very
reminiscent of published works by three of the Eight Friends of
Zhushan. See, for example, the circular dish published as attributed to
Wang Qi in Simon Kwan, The Muwen Tang Series: Chinese Porcelain
of the Republic Period [Muwen Tang Shoucang Quanji: Minguo Ciqi]
(Muwen Tang Fine Arts Publication Ltd; Hong Kong, 2008) no. 322,
pp. 122-123. That figure compares favorably with the upper register of
sages depicted in the present lot, all sharing intricately rendered and
engaging facial expressions of which the ceramicist Wang Qi (1884-
1937) was so accomplished. The birds and flowers in the bottom
sections all have techniques and compositions similar to birds and
flowers by Liu Yucen (1904-1969) [ibid., nos. 72-75, pp. 202-209].
And though one appears to be a later replacement by a different artist,
the remaining three landscape plaques in the middle do seem to share
many of the techniques of Wang Xiaoting (died 1970) [ibid., no. 103,
pp. 262-263] -- note specifically the similarity of the pavilions to those
in the present lot.

118 | BONHAMS