清乾隆 多寶人物庭院掛屏

containing ivory, gilt-bronze, coral, mother-of-pearl and other materials with a scene of ladies and gentlemen in a palace garden setting welcoming a dignitary, two rams and a goat grazing in the foreground amidst lingzhi and rockwork, all set within a gilt-wood frame

Superbly decorated with ivory, gilt-metal and semi-precious materials to depict elaborate lakeside garden courtyards occupied by well-attired figures, the high quality of the workmanship and media is indicative of the prominence of its owner. A sense of otherworldliness is captured through the glittering gilt tree trunks and branches and the cool palette of the still sky and water. It is a rare example of 18th century ivory carving, possibly the product of the skilled artisans working in the ivory workshops in Guangdong where the majority of the tributary ivory carvings were made for the Imperial court. Compare a pair of panels of this type offered in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2006, lot 1078.

The meticulous carving of this panel together with the subtle colors used, which bring out the elegance of the ivory, attest to the high level of workmanship, not dissimilar to that found in the Palace Workshop. See a polychrome ivory panel carved with meiren figures enjoying leisurely pursuits in a courtyard garden setting, from the Qing Court collection and now in Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji, vol. 11, Beijing, 1987, pl. 104, together with another ivory carved panel depicting three boys playing, pl. 103.

An ivory panel depicting scenes of the Eastern Sea with the Eight Immortals was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2nd December 1997, lot 67; and another magnificent panel with a scene inspired by the landscape of Whampoa (Huangpu) region in Guangdong, was sold in our London rooms, 12th July 2006, lot 74.

Among the various crafts in Guangdong, ivory was one of the most technically advanced. With the lifting of the ban on maritime trade with foreign countries in 1684, there was an increase in ivory imports which provided sufficient raw material for the development of ivory carving for the region. Guangzhou rapidly became the center of this industry, attracting craftsmen who combined their traditional carving skill with this precious imported material. Ivory carvers became renowned for their skills in producing beautifully carved work which was presented to the Qing court as tribute from the officials in the South. The most accomplished carvers were ordered to work in the Imperial Palace Workshop in the Forbidden City and imperial records show that by the 7th year of Qianlong’s reign (equivalent to 1742 AD) ‘Guangdong ivory artisans were in complete control of the production of ivory items in the Palace’ (see Tributes from Guangdong to the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1987, p. 64).