A large Chinese carved zitan wood panel with jade and turquoise, set in a hongmu wood frame and stand, Qianlong

H.: 184 cm - W.: 117 cm - D.: 47 cm (incl. stand)
H.: 134 cm - W.: 96 cm (the panel)

Provenance: A French private collection.
Accompanied by a French export certificate. (see joint scans)

The panel is part of a group of interesting, intricately carved zitan wood furniture. These exceptional works were created to the highest standards in the imperial workshops of Beijing to adorn the imperial residences. The stand may be of later date.

See also:
- Sotheby's, Hong Kong, April 5, 2017, lot 3634, for a related table screen. (Sold HKD 625.000) (link)
- Sotheby's, Hong Kong, April 11, 2008, lot 2829, for a related large screen. (Sold HKD 727.500) (link)
- The Complete Collection of Treasures from the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, no. 93, for another related zitan table screen with jade figures depicting the 'Hundred Boys', now in the Qing Court collection.
- The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, no.172, for another related screen with jichhimu wood carvings and inlaid with jade figures and cloisonné, now also in the Qing Court collection.
- Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), "Kazakh envoys presenting horses to the emperor Qianlong", The Musée Guimet, inv. nr. MG 17033, shows another carved wood panel positioned behind the emperor. (link)

Condition: (UV-checked)
- The hongmu wood frame overall in good condition with a few minor areas that have been restored. Some of the expected age cracks have been filled-in and stabilized. The stand with general surface wear and some loose connections. On the back side the horizontal support panel of the lower section lacking.
- The panel with a number of small lacking sections to the applied carved decoration, namely small parts of leaves, connections between branches.
- Numerous tension lines and splits in the wood.
- The jade bird lacking the very tip of the tail.
- Several of the turquoise gourd fruits with superficial wear, cracks and surface chips.
- Lacking part of the decoration in the middle section, on the left of the jade figure.
- Possibly also lacking a part of the decoration on the left of the bearded figure in the lower left section.
- The back panel with superficial touch-ups. The panel as a whole patinated, the original wood visible behind one of the relief-carved rocks.
- The upper left decoration detached from the next branch, allowing it to be moved slightly.