Six-Panel Screen
Wood, lacquer, pigments and gold; metal mounts
China - Qing dynasty (1644-1911), early 18th Century
H. 246.5 cm L. 276 cm
Ref. 16678
A rare and monumental kuancai lacquer screen from the Kangxi era, this six-panel work centres on the auspicious Bainiao Chaofeng (Hundred Birds Paying Tribute to the Phoenix) motif. The front panel depicts a phoenix attended by cranes amid pine, bamboo, blossoms, and rockwork beneath a radiant sun—an emblem of harmony, virtue, and celebration
The richly ornamented frame is adorned with poetic inscriptions, miniature landscapes, and motifs of antiquities derived from late Ming woodblock-print traditions, reflecting the close dialogue between lacquer, painting, and printed design. Decorative elements such as Xuanji Yuheng—associated with cosmology and classical scholarship—attest to the intellectual depth embedded within its ornament.
The screen is published in Asian Lacquer: A Lasting Story of Fascination and Inspiration, 2025, pp. 240-247, no. 23.
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