PHAM HAU | A wooden cabinet with lacquered doors

This item is in good overall condition as viewed. There is evidence of wear an handling along the edges and corners of the wood and lacquer due to general use, such as abrasions at the feet of the cabinet, some losses, chips and nicks to the edges and hinges, and some faint scratches and scuffs to the wood. The knobs are slightly misaligned and worn due to age.
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 Indochina Fine Arts College (École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine ) was created in 1924 with the aim of nurturing a class of artists who maintained the integrities of indigenous decorative arts while developing French methods and craftsmanship. With this establishment brought the rise of students who all excelled as individual and creative artists, namely Pham Hau, who cultivated his art-making talents when lacquer marking workshops were introduced in 1925.  A precise and demanding medium, the art of lacquer requires careful practice, application and patience; once drawn, the panels have to be reworked with rare and precious colors, such as mother-of-pearl or eggshell. With all his works, Pham Hau regularly found inspiration within the sceneries of his everyday life in Vietnam, and led his fluid brushstrokes to articulate canvases imbued with peace and enchantment. This exceptional cabinet showcases Pham Hau’s mastery of lacquer as a medium of poetic expression. The maestro was one of the first amongst Vietnamese artists to incorporate lacquer painting onto furniture -  including panels for folding screens, wooden box covers or doors for cabinets. He was known to display these works in his workshop in Dong Ngac village, this body of work would inspire other artists such as Alix Aymé and younger Vietnamese artists to follow in his footsteps. This magnificent cabinet is at once romantic and visually mesmerizing. Pham Hau’s fully functional doors open up and seem to invite the viewer to step into another world.

Like draping curtains, banana leaves frame the scenery, and part to unveil a faraway landscape cradled with quiet mystique. Thin wisps of cloud diffuse from above, which make way to distant mountains and a rippling river. The sky revels in a warm, luminous glow as gold encompasses nearly the entire top half of the panel; Pham Hau does so as to give birth to a picturesque scene so ethereal that it tiptoes on the borders of perfect fantasy. Pham Hau’s meticulous artistry is brought to light upon closer inspection, as golden palm trees stand out amongst the muted creamy browns of the village, while the rippling rivers edges into the base of the mountains.

Pham Hau’s devotion to navigating Western artistic techniques in tandem with Vietnamese artistic principles is evident here, as a myriad of shade variations are used to craft the characters, animals and foliage of this dynamic narrative. A farmer appears to be riding behind his ox, as they travel across the pasture – note how Pham Hau’s delicate cross hatching techniques create the tiny details of the bridge on which they are about to cross. Pham Hau weaves an incredible sense of depth and spatiality within the landscape as he lends from varying shades of brown, gold, maroon and black to provide the viewers with an unparalleled perspective none other than his own. It is with Pham Hau’s exquisite attention to detail and technicality that we are invited to indulge in a moment of solitude, as the bucolic countryside of Vietnam basks in its beauty.