AN EIGHT-FOLD COROMANDEL SCREEN QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

carved and painted on one side with a vibrant scene of a nobleman holding an audience in a grand terrace pavilion within a walled compound, surrounded by courtiers and military officials as well as musicians entertaining from gazebos, with further dignitaries arriving at the gate bearing tributes, enclosed by panels showing scholars pursuing leisurely pursuits in gardens, all between rectangular panels containing mythical beasts and 'Precious Objects', the reverse with a paradisiacal landscape of 'the Hundred Birds' amidst luxuriant peonies, lilies, roses, dianthus and lingzhi growing from rockwork by a lotus pond beneath flowering magnolia, prunus, nandina and bamboo, all in colorful pigments on a brown ground (8)

There are vertical stress cracks stablized overall. There is some repainting and the screen has been overall coated in a varnish. The colors remain bright and vibrant but somewhat yellowish in tone due to the varnish. The edges have had considerable losses and chipping which has been stabilized and restored with areas of re-painting. There are some small areas of loss remaining unrestored adn some flaking of both the original surface and the restored areas.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Elaborate scenes of courtiers in palatial settings were favorite themes of coromandel screens from the 18th and 19th century, considered important gifts to be presented to officials of high rank and made even more auspicious when embellished with panels of antiques to denote prosperity and the images of scholars to suggest intellectual accomplishments. The theme of 'the Hundred Birds' is quite often found as a complement to the court scenes not just to present a beautiful and tranquil scene but to suggest marital bliss, especially if the screen were a wedding gift.