A PAINTED FIVE-PANEL 'BEAUTIES' SCREEN QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

each of the five panels forming a continuous scene of idealized feminine beauty, each of the seven ladies luxuriantly attired in flowing silk robes of varying patterns, hair upswept and ornamented with jewels, their perfectly proportioned features elegantly composed, all shown standing alongside an openwork wan-fret patterned fence with a green serpentine and white jade inlaid wine table behind laden with books and archaistic objects and a landscape painting above, next to a large moon gate nesting a mallard and his mate, the foreground with blossoming peonies and overarching hydrangea, a charming cat and kitten nestled atop rockwork while another kitten plays with fluttering butterflies below

Christie's Paris, 1981.
Mildred and Abraham B. Singer and thence by descent.

The screen is most likely missing one panel. There is significant wear to the surface and abrasion to the lower left corner, with loss of pigment, tears, gaps to the paper, scratches, repairs, staining and sections of overpainting.
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.

The painted gathering of five gracious, alluring and cultivated ladies is a fine representation of meiren, a distinct genre type from the late Ming to the latter half of the Qing dynasty. The depiction of lovely women symbolized idealized femininity; physical beauty combined with scholarly achievement. The origin for this model dates back to the Tang dynasty with the concept of romantic love defined as caizi jiaren (talented scholar and beautiful woman).  Nearly life size in scale, the women possess an almost ethereal beauty conveying their idealized status. The scholarly objects which surround them in an elegant setting speak to their cultural refinement and intelligence. The portrayal of such beauty, urbanity, and sensual sophistication within a spacious, outdoor, elegant setting means to be both inspirational and practical. James Cahill devotes a chapter to this fascinating topic in Pictures for Use and Pleasure, Vernacular Painting in High Qing China, Berkley, California 2010 where he writes, "The growth of courtesan culture, flourishing in the pleasures districts of the cities of the late Ming and early Qing, allowed the ideal of romantic love to permeate the upper levels of Chinese society as never before, and to inform the relationship between the sexes both in literature and life." (pp. 150-1)