A Chinese carved twelve-panel “Coromandel” folding screen 17th/18th Century:
Finely carved and colored with numerous figures and immortals arriving to celebrate before an Emperor, among pavilions, gates, rockwork and lush vegetation, the upper panels depicting landscapes and bird and flowers, lower panels with animals, mythical and mundane, the side panels with additional auspicious beasts below sinuous dragons descending though scrolling clouds; the reverse with a lengthy calligraphic inscription with a transcription of Shengzhu de Xianchen song, which may be translated as “Ode to the Lord Who Has a Virtuous Minister/Subject,” composed by Wang Bao of the Western Han dynasty. Further inscribed “Written by Marquis Gao Shinian in the first month of summer in the wu chen year (possibly equivalent to 1688). Two seals of the calligrapher Gao Shinian(?), and Si Yi(?); all bordered by reserves of flowers and antiques. (Dimensions: H: 103 1/2, W: 18 1/2 in. (each panel))
