Pair of Chinese hardstone plaques, early C20th

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Auction Start: 27/01/26 19:20:00 UTC
Auction Ending: 11/02/26 21:30:00 UTC
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LOT NUMBER 46
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LOT NUMBER 46

Pair of Chinese hardstone plaques, early C20th

xA pair of Chinese lacquer panels, the gold ground with painted decoration and hardstone inlay depicting four of the eight immortals, or Baxian, in a stylised garden scene. Amidst painted rocks and flowering prunus with lakes and mountains in the background stand, on the left plaque, Lan Caihe, the patron of florists and gardeners, and Lü Dongbin, a scholar and poet, and on the right plaque Zhongli Quan, associated with death and the power to create silver and gold, often depicted holding a fan, and Li Tieguai, associated with medicine and easing the suffering of the sick and needy, identified by his iron crutch and calabash bottle. The eight immortals are figures of legend which feature in Chinese mythology and are worshipped by Taoists as well as appearing in secular Chinese culture. They are often depicted in Chinese art and it is possible that we have here two plaques from an original set of four representing them all. That said, the compositions here are well balanced with perhaps a deliberate contrast between the attributes of the figures. Plaques with hardstone inlay are known amongst the items exported to the West in the early twentieth century and sometimes occur as furniture screens. The work here is both colourful and expressive and an excellent example of the genre. The frames with their silk border may be slightly later but are certainly Chinese and well complement the compositions which they surround contributing to a highly decorative ensemble for a contemporary interior.
Size: Frame : 26.8cm x 50.5cm x 2cm; Plaques 21cm x 45cm
Weight: 2.88kg
Date: Early C20th
Condition: The plaques in excellent condition; the frames with slight scratches/wear to the front and coarsely taped at the back.
Estimate: £60 – 80

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