The artistic and decorative tradition of the Chinese folding screen is legendary. These screens originated in the courts of the ancient emperors, where they fulfilled a variety of functions, dividing spaces, providing privacy and acting as a majestic backdrop during major ceremonies and events. However, they were not merely functional objects, but true works of art imbued with deep cultural significance. The materials were carefully chosen to endow the pieces with beauty and sophistication and the intricate designs and symbolic motifs painstakingly carved into the wood and painted on the porcelain were intended to reflect the refined taste and status of their owners.

This type of free-standing eight-leaf screen is known in Mandarin Chinese as a weiping or ‘winged screen’ since it lacks a base and is arranged in a zigzag arrangement. Fine materials were used for the frame and ornamentation, including rosewood and glazed porcelain plaques with famille verte decoration. The openwork wooden panels carved in vegetal scroll patterns with motifs such as the double gourd, symbol of long life and health, evoked the design of the doors and windows of traditional Chinese architecture. The panels were made without glue or nails and assembled in such a way that the porcelain panels could ‘float’ within their frames to adapt to minor expansion or contraction in the wood caused by variations in temperature and humidity.

The great protagonist of this piece is the porcelain. Forty square, rectangular and round plaques are decorated in a variety of motifs referencing the Chinese ink tradition and painted onto the porcelain in famille verte enamels. The famille verte palette, which primarily used green translucent glazes, was developed during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722), although the style also inspired Chinese artists from the latter half of the nineteenth century. The motifs include narrative scenes with real and mythological animals, blossoms with birds and insects, and courtly figures inspired by engravings from classical literature.

The square and rectangular plaques at the top of the screen show court scenes featuring senior officials, better known in the West as mandarins. The term ‘mandarin’ was coined in the sixteenth century by the Portuguese to refer to the ‘mandatories’, i.e. those who were in charge of the political and administrative running of China. Mandarins attained their positions after undergoing a demanding system of competitive examinations to test their knowledge of law, mathematics and general culture. Their mastery of literature and Confucian texts (which established a system of social norms and rituals) and their calligraphic skills were all particularly highly valued. These figures are shown wearing tunics with symbolic motifs embroidered on the chest and the mandarins’ characteristic two-brimmed hat.

The upper plaques also depict warriors with swords, female courtiers and children playing, with their characteristic hairstyle, consisting of a single black tuft on the forehead.

On the rectangular plaques, the same characters are shown performing a variety of activities in gardens adorned with pine trees (symbolic of longevity because of their perennial greenery) and perforated rocks. In Taoist philosophy, these rocks represent the mountains of paradise where the immortals resided and are a manifestation of the frozen energy or qi. As well as reflecting the passage of time, they were considered mythical and religious symbols and were objects of veneration.

On the square plaques, the figures are depicted against a backdrop of palatial buildings viewed from the garden. These edifices are entirely open to the exterior and separated from one another by courtyards, galleries and terraces. The interior of the buildings was always linked to the garden, forming a unit in which the boundaries between inner and outer space were blurred. The interiors were also decorated with painted screens, which were adapted to the different functions and needs of the court.

The round plaques halfway down the screen are decorated with real and mythical animals. These include the legendary qilin, a two-horned quadruped with the body of a deer, the tail of an ox, the head of a wolf and the hooves of a horse. The qilin was a symbol of magnificence and rank, which flew above the ground so as not to damage insects or blades of grass with its hooves. Also featured are three goats, which symbolise spring, the sun and yang; two lions (one playing with a ball), guardian animals and symbols of Buddha and the Buddhist religion; two spotted sika deer, associated with longevity, since, according to legend, they are the only animals capable of finding the sacred mushroom (lingzhi) of immortality; a camel – considered as an exotic animal in China – which played a key role in transporting goods along the Silk Road; an elephant, symbol of prudence, wisdom and strength, and, finally, a tiger, one of the most revered animals in Chinese culture and an emblem of protection and power.

The square and rectangular plaques in the lower part of the screen are ornamented with blossoms, including chrysanthemum, symbol of autumn and the reclusive life of the scholar; lotus, emblem of purity for Buddhists and Taoists; peony, symbol of love and beauty, and the plum blossom, associated with winter, longevity and the sage Confucius. They are also linked to Laozi, the founder of Taoism, who, according to legend, was born at the foot of a plum tree. The insects and birds shown flying amongst the blossoms are inspired by engravings and ink paintings. This type of composition reflects the influence of the pictorial tradition of the Song dynasty (960-1279), which placed particular importance on naturalistic detail and the symbolism of flowers.

Bibliography

Adams, Janet Woodbury. (1982). Decorative folding screens: in the West from 1600 to the present day. Thames and Hudson.

Jörg, Christiaan J. A. (2011). Famille Verte. Chinese Porcelain in Green Enamels. Bai.

Ottaviani-Jaede, Laura. (2003). ‘The Chinese Screens in the Collection of the Naprstek Museum in Prague. Some Functional and Aesthetic Aspects’. Annals of the Náprstek Museum, 24, pp. 31-62.

Wang, Shixiang. (1988). Classic Chinese Furniture, Joint Publishing.

Welch, Patricia Bjaaland. (2008). Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery. Tuttle Publishing.

Cinta Krahe Noblett