Black lacquered 5 panel screen
This screen is a 5 panel black wood screen with a gold border all around. The scene has birds flying, cranes, flowers, leaves and rock formations. It has many different textures and many different colours that I am unable to identify. Almost all the stones have very fine etching. The back of the panels are small designs in gold paint (?) I see no names or identification marks that I know of. My husbands aunt was a collector of many things and was know to have high quality things as well as things she collected just because they were pretty. She bought it around 1972, probably at an auction. So I have no idea if this is an old screen of any value. The old, rustic hinges made me think it might be something to help identify its age. The 5th panel is not washed out like in the picture, bad photography. There are no major flaws, just old and dusty. The hinges are not sturdy by nature of the design. It is heavy. I kept it because it is so beautiful; but now I have to give it up.
Each panel measures 63" X 12"
Inherited
Yes
Hello, this item is a five panel black lacquer folding screen decorated with hardstone and shell inlay depicting cranes, flowering branches, and water landscape motifs, produced in the Chinese export decorative arts tradition. The materials visible in the close images, including carved soapstone, mother of pearl, and dyed stone elements, together with the lacquer surface and brass hinges, indicate production most consistent with mid to late 20th century workshop manufacture, likely dating between the 1960s and 1980s. Screens of this type were widely produced in Guangdong and Hong Kong for export markets, especially for Western interior decoration, and were commonly sold through furniture galleries and import retailers rather than as antique scholarly pieces.
From a market standpoint, comparable five panel Chinese hardstone inlaid lacquer screens of similar size typically sell between $600 and $1,200 USD depending on condition, craftsmanship quality, and completeness. The present example appears structurally intact with only expected age wear, which supports mid range valuation. Based on current secondary market results for similar decorative export screens, a realistic market value would fall between $700 and $900 USD.
