grand panneau en laque polychrome sculpté chine, Dynastie Qing, époque Qianlong (1736-1795)

figurant un paysage lacustre surplombé de montagnes, enjambé de ponts, sillonné de barques chargées de pêcheurs, les berges plantées de pins, érables et bananiers et agrémentées d'un pavillon, parcourues de paysans à l'ouvrage, la scène encadrée d'une bande de fleurs de lotus dans des rinceaux feuillagés et frises de grecques, la prise en bronze doré à décor de grecques, le revers laqué noir ; petits accidents, manques et craquelures

The actual panel is in overall good original condition. There are small areas of loss to the lacquer on the edges of the panel and a ca. 4cm long area of loss to the rim on the panel's'left side. The panel is slightly warped. The reverse is lacquered black and has a horizontal crack running through it.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Carved cinnabar lacquer was a popular medium in the 18th century and was used not only for small vessels but for larger pieces of furniture, ranging in size from large thrones to small stools and cabinets. Like furniture, screens were an integral part of furnishings in public and private spaces. They occupied an important function in defining and dividing spaces. In the formal contexts of palaces, large screens with multiple panels enclosed the throne of the emperor while in the scholar's studio, small screens comprising a single panel were often placed on his desk so to define this space retreat.

The present piece was possibly one of a series of panels depicting different landscapes. Unlike table screens they were hung on the walls of a rooms in a continuous series. The form of this piece may have been inspired by the famous series of carved lacquer screens bearing lenghty inscriptions and each commemorating the battles and conquests of the Qianlong emperor many of them now surviving in Kasteel Huis Doorn in the Netherlands, or one sold at Christie's London, 12th July 2005, lot 148, inscribed with a poem dated to 1788.

Only a small number of panels of this type in such well-preserved condition are known; a slightly larger example depicting a luohan in a landscape accompanied by a long inscription, formerly in the collection of Lieut.-Colonel Arthur Bowdich Cottell, was sold in our London rooms, 4^th November 2009, lot 123; another panel carved with boys playing in a garden setting, sold at Christie's New York, 21^st March 2000, lot 67. Compare also a large panel of vertical format picturing the famous Lanting (Orchid Pavilion) gathering, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 23^rd October 2005, lot 364.