17352（清代細雕彩色花格子窗）Antique carved Chinese lattice window screen with beautiful organic color pigments made from precious ground minerals and vegetation, and hand-carved with beautiful vegetation and auspicious symbols. The small rectangular panel on the top and at the bottom of the window were hand-carved out of one piece of wood with delicate cut-out designs. The top panel is carved in many small key shape design and curled vegetation, uniquely tied together with a knot. This section is primarily painted in gilt and a bright pastel red. The middle section, the main latticework of this window screen is composed of both joined latticework connected with pegs and carving, including a carved vase on a stand with ribbons and peony flowers in it and auspicious clouds around it in the middle of the screen. Other motives include double-diamond shape (雙羐) , varying curled vegetation designs that derived from the earlier period, and other floral designs including lotus flower and four-petaled flower. The four petaled flower is said might have come from the middle Asia through he passage of Buddhism to China. This four petaled flower motif is popular in some areas in Xingjiang and throughout the silk road. This section of latticework is painted in gold, dark green, dark blue, bright pastel red, powdered blue, and powdered white color. The small panel at the bottom is beautifully carved with a “twined lotus” design, a half lotus design, various vegetation, and a “Double-Happiness” character in the middle that looks like a joined latticework but is actually part of the carving. One minor loss of a piece of wood in this section.

This window screen was probably created for the bedroom (內房) of a newly wed couple with blessings to have a happy married life. The composition of the latticework and carving for the whole screen is skillfully handled with so many motives and tiny carvings by creating them in a delicate proportion and arranged in an “orderly” manner to give the screen still a “clean” look with all the blessings to bless the newly wed. This window came from Jiang-Nan (江南) area, South of Yangtze River. Old windows or doors with such beautiful old colors are hard to find.

Dimensions: 17 3/4” W x 55 1/8” L x 2”

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