A painted canvas panel in the `Indo-Chinese' decorative manner of John Vanderbank

depicting a distinctive scattering of floating islands with numerous Indian style figures engaged in various pursuits, the islands supporting Chinese style pavilions, pagodas and bridges, and incorporating exotic animals such as a monkey, parrots and ho-ho birds and a white crane, and exotic trees such as the palm and magnolia and further flowering plants, all on a dark brown ground, within a foliate and fruit, ribbon tied swag decorated border incorporating china vases, and with cartouches enclosing exotic trees, some supporting a ledge with a group of blue and white china vases, with parrots in each top corner and a crane and stork in each lower corner, on an eau-de-nil ground, with narrow banded inner and outer borders, in yellow and red, and yellow and brown respectively; now laid on a recent canvas backing and with central join to the two sections of the panel

The thematic schemes of the floating islands, exotic vegetation and figures, on dark grounds, are based generally on Chinese Coromandel lacquer-work, and incorporated Chinese, Indian and Turkish motifs. The particular design enthusiastically incorporates a mixture of exotic motifs and the approach results in fresh and light-hearted designs on dark grounds which emphasise the brightness of colours used for the motifs. The architectural elements were mostly Chinese in inspiration, although the figural types could be influenced by Turkish and Indian styles and costume which were taken from miniatures and prints, and the Indian style was taken up by the English, along with the Chinese style, whereas the French took to the Chinese influences.  `Chinoiserie' ornamentation with its mix of influences was a prevalent fashion in the 17th century.

Edith Appleton Standen discusses the source of some of the figures, in `English Tapestries After the Indian Manner', The Metropolitan Museum Journal, 1981, pp.119-142, which illustrates the Elihu Yale Tapestries, now in the Yale University Art Gallery. Elihu Yale, an Englishman from Derbyshire, as Governor of Fort George in St. Madras, and in service of the East India Company acquired great wealth, and on returning to London in 1699 purchased considerable works of art including a set of four Indo-Chinese tapestries. He later gave his name to the American University. For this set of four tapestries, purchased by Elihu Yale in 1700, see Sotheby's London, 18th July 1924, The Yale Tapestries, Property of the Rt.Hon. the Earl of Guilford, where they were purchased by a private collector who presented them to the University. The measurements of the Yale panels were 11ft high and varied between 8ft and 17ft in width.

With the distinctive design of the narrow grassy islands and beautifully detailed figures, set on a dark ground, some of the motifs from this inspirational tapestries are evident in the present painted panel, such as the pavilion sheltered under the cliff, the magnolia tree, the standing lady and attendant and the male figures with a tambourine and triangle respectively, and a similar monkey in a tree. The Yale tapestries have similar borders of Chinese taste, although the side border details, included monkeys, rather than the Chinese vases and the centre of the horizontal borders included a Chinese vase. The influential Yale tapestries had a distinctive lower border which includes plinths in each corner on which the stork stands, lacking in the present painted panel, and swags of flowers held by bow tied ribbons and central vase, which differs slightly from the design and location of the border on the offered lot.

The Yale Tapestry panels have the mark of the cross of St. George used by Mortlake, which in its decline and towards the end of the 17th century was used by other workshops, including Vanderbank's, whose signature is associated with pieces of this type and quality. John Vanderbank, worked as the chief arras maker, at the Great Wardrobe workshop, Great Queen Street, London from 1689 until his death in 1717. He is known to have designed tapestries of this type, and records show that in 1690 he charged for four pieces of `fine tapestry hangings after the Indian manner', intended for Kensington Palace, and two more were commissioned and two lengthened in 1691-1692 for the same location.  The designs were very popular and taken up by other workshops.

For further English pieces of this `Indo-Chinese' type see Edith Appleton Standen, European Post-Medieval Tapestries in the Metropolitan Museum, 1985, Vol. II, pp. 717-725 .Standen suggests the collaboration of Robert Robinson (fl.1674-1706), in the design of the tapestries, on the strength of his signed chinoiserie wall paintings, dated 1696. Two canvas painted panels in oil, with Chinese motifs on a dark ground, said to have been in an American collection in 1955, were described as cartoons for English chinoiserie tapestries, however could have been copies of the tapestries, rather than cartoons for them. See George Wingfield Digby, English Tapestries at Burlington House, Burlington Magazine 97, 1955.

For an identical copy of the presently offered panel design, see a tapestry panel, woven in reverse, sold at Sotheby's, London, 7^th July 1995, lot 9, of 18^th century inspiration, 19^th century weaving. A very similar piece within the same border having been noted in a European private collection. Sotheby's, London, 30^th June 2004, lot 38, was a similarly composed Indo-Chinese panel, with very similar borders to the offered painted panel.

The catalogue illustration is slightly too bright in colour, it is of a slightly more muted tone. Old crackelure as to be expected and some small losses to painted surface. The two panels joined in center as stated and laid on canvas. Overall a very decorative and interesting item.
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