Carved wood elements reclaimed from old Chinese houses and furniture often are adaptable to new uses. This attractive 19th century panel, once an interior window, has been fitted with a mirror that emphasizes the graceful fretwork and shape. Four delicate cloud-shaped pieces form the central oval, held in place top and bottom with fretwork and two small carved flowers. Four carvings of flowers are inserted at the top and bottom. The fretwork panel, set into a separate frame backed with the mirro... Click for details
The very open fretwork on this late 19th century elm wood screen from Hunan Province gives an airy look to the three tall (nearly seven feet) panels. We have seen screens with similarly open fretwork backed with rice paper or silk to produce soft, filtered light, or left open for maximum brightness. In old Chinese houses, this type of screen or panel sometimes was fitted with a removable solid wood piece to back the fretwork, which offered privacy but diminished the beauty. The screen is in very... Click for details
The unusual fretwork on this two-panel screen is more reminiscent of an old European cathedral than 18th century Hubei Province in China where it originated. Although at first glance it looks plain, almost severe, its appeal is in the details. The 12 vertical bars on each panel are separated with 36 small carved designs in two different shapes--one a diamond shape centered with a tiny flower, the other a cross centered with a circle. The vertical bars are pegged top and bottom into a series of c... Click for details
An abundance of fine pierced carving gives this 19th century Chinese portal a lighter, more delicate look than generally found in Qing pieces of this scale. The center portion, with its graceful scrolling and carved tassels and beads, obviously was designed to herald the significance of one's passage beneath it. Touches of gilt on the rich red lacquer highlight carvings meant to convey important symbolic messages. Both the carvings and color establish that this was the portal to the antechamber... Click for details
Birds, often used as a symbol of the beauty of nature on Chinese architectural carvings, are the theme of this 18th century camphor wood fretwork panel. The center section shows a bird on a flowering tree branch, and the unusual fretwork incorporates four birds with berries in their beaks. Carved panels in this size were used as interior windows or on screens. The panel is in good condition. Dimensions: height 34 1/2" (88 cm), width 13" (33 cm), depth 3/4" (2 cm).
Among the many tea drinking implements in old China were cleverly made wood teapot holders with a hole for the teapot spout and a carrying handle with an intriguing locking device. A Chinese version of the English tea cozy, the wood holders were both practical and decorative. This octagonal late 19th century holder is made of eight cypress wood staves fitted together in barrel fashion and held in place with metal straps. The area around the spout is covered with metal, which is surrounded with c... Click for details
