(早清到明帶冰花雕刻格子門一套) Set of Six or More Antique Architectural Screens with Ice-Ray Pattern

Set of Six or More Antique Architectural Screens with Ice-Ray Pattern. Ice-ray (or called Cracked-Ice) pattern in Chinese woodwork is unique to the central and south-western part of China. It originally might have been created because of the humid summer where the house owners wished to embed some imaginative symbol in the architecture to calm the mind for the heat. The name might also have come from the ancient Chinese ceramic work when the glaze cracked on the surface of the porcelain from firing, creating beautiful visual effect like that of ice being cracked with a transparent illusion and beauty. Because of that, it is often in literature and sometimes in Buddhism compared to a person with high morale and self discipline like a clear heart ( 冰心) without a dust or to reflect.

In Chinese woodwork, the ice-ray pattern especially has a high meaning and is highly regarded in the trade. Because in some cases a skillful craftsman could assemble the ice-ray pattern free-hand, meaning without drawing up and per-calculating a pattern on paper or wood in advance when composing and assembling such latticework. Then, the pattern can show interesting irregularities ( 不對稱) within its harmonious ( 和諧) and orderly (整齊) form.

The carved key patterns at the other parts of the solid panels on the screen show a stylized design with simplified motif and a longevity Shou character.

This set of screen is estimated to be around 250 years old or so.

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