Rare Qing Dynasty Carved Wood Dragon Panel
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A large rare Qing Dynasty carved wood dragon panel, superbly carved in Huanghuali wood (attributed) in layered relief with nine dragons each with four claws. The central dragon with sinuous wreathen body in front profile with head carved in high relief with a captured pearl of wisdom flanked by four dragons each with conforMing sinuous bodies. Set amongst cloud scrolls above a turbulent sea with cresting waves. Each corner of the rectangular shaped frame displays a brass plate engraved with foliate and dragon decoration, 117 x 220 cm, the quality and depth of the carving on this panel is superb. It is comparable to carved zitan and huanghuali pieces from Imperial collections. A panel of comparable quality carved with a dragon is illustrated in Ming Qing Gongting Jiaju Da Guan, Vol.II, Beijing, 2006, pl. 571. The quality is also comparable to deeply carved cloud scrolls embellished with Taoist precious objects illustrated in the complete collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, no. 206, the panel also be compares favorably with a zitan cupboard carved with dragons and clouds, attributed to the Guangdong Workshops for the Western chamber of Yingxin hall, illustrated in the exhibition, Tributes from Guangdong to the Qing court, 1987, Hong Kong, catalogue, pl. 14, Provenance: acquired by the current owner in Beijing in the 1990s, note: this panel has been catalogued with the attributed timber and age after extensive research and consultation with the current owner and other experts in the field. However, all bidders must satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of this description before bidding.
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- Zitan Wood - Zitan is the most expensive, and since ancient times, has been considered the most precious of woods.
Zitan wood is the hardest and heaviest of all hardwoods. It is purplish-black to black in colour, and with a grain so dense it is virtually invisible.
Zitan can usually only be obtained in quite narrow strips and so it is rare to find large pieces of furniture made from this wood. True Chinese rosewood is a variety of zitan and is very rare. - Ming Dynasty - The Ming Dynasty was a ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. It succeeded the Yuan Dynasty and preceded the Qing Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty was established by Zhu Yuanzhang, a former Buddhist monk who became a rebel leader and eventually overthrew the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, China experienced a period of relative stability and prosperity. The government was centralized and bureaucratic, with the emperor at the top of the hierarchy. The Ming Dynasty is known for its cultural achievements, including the development of porcelain, the invention of movable type printing, and the construction of the Great Wall of China.
- Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
- Attributed - A cataloguing term where the item in the opinion of the cataloguers, is a of the period of the artist, craftsman or designer, and which probably in whole or part is the work of that person.
- Qing Dynasty - The Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912. It was established by the Manchu people, who originated from the northeastern region of China. The Qing Dynasty was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China.
- Huanghuali Wood - Huanghuali is the most sought-after timber used in the construction of Chinese furniture because of its fine colour and grain.
During Ming and early Qing dynasties, most of the best furniture was made from huanghuali wood.
It is a member of the rosewood family and over time the surface mellows to a yellowish brown tone with the exposure to light.
In recent years, furniture made from huanghuali wood has increased exponentially in value.
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