A George II six-fold japanned screen, circa 1730

decorated with Chinese figures, landscapes, architectural scenes, birds, animals and flowers in gold on a red ground on one side and green ground on the other

Sotheby's Milan, Importanti Mobili, Ceramiche, Argenti ed Oggetti d'Arte, Collezioni Alberto Bruni Tedeschi dal Castello di Castagneto Po, Torino, 10 July 2007, lot 264.

The Alberto Bruni Tedeschi Collection, Sotheby's London, 21st March 2007, p. 502.

An almost unique and extraordinarily rare example, with both red and green japanning. There are areas with signs of shrinkage, which have been later retouched. With some minor cracks and chips to the edges, as to be expected, from age and use.
"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."

The quality of the lacquer decoration on this screen is comparable with the best English japanned work of the early 18th century. Very few japanned screens from this period survive and screens with two different coloured grounds on either side are even rarer. Red, along with black, tended to be the most popular colour for the main ground in japanned wares, and the use of two colours in japanned furniture can be found in bureau-bookcases made for the export market. A six-fold English japanned screen with a black ground on both sides is illustrated in Ralph Edwards, The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture, 1964, p.434, fig.2.

Japanning, a process of imitating oriental lacquer with varnish, became highly popular in England by the end of the 17th century, particularly after the publication of John Stalker and George Parker's Treatise on Japanning and Varnishing in London in 1688, which provided an extensive illustrated repertory of ornamental motifs in the Chinese taste suitable for use on both furniture and small objects like trays, boxes and toilet mirrors. Other important iconographical sources for japanned decoration were the engraved illustrations in Johannes Nieuhoff, L'Ambassade de la Compagnie orientale des Provinces Unies vers l'empereur de la Chine (1665) and Athanasius Kircher, China monumentis illustrata (1667).