Qing dynasty, probably Qianlong period (1736-95), a set of six paper backed very finely woven silk paintings featuring Chinese archaic and scholarly objects, these iconic items are painted in a Western still life manner, the paintings are set into carved wooden frames with Chinese dragons chasing a pearl, but also Fleur-de-lis motifs (symbols in France and of Florence, Italy), there are paper labels to lower section of each painting with Chinese characters now faded and obscured on most.

This screen seems to be a marriage of styles illustrating the Western influence that was brought to China during the Qing dynasty, especially popular during Emperor Qianlong's reign where the most important court painter, the Italian Jesuit painter Giuseppe Castiglione (or Lang Shining), was favored, often painting Chinese subjects using Western style light and shade techniques.

Each Panel 62 x 17 1/4 x 1

From the collection of Thomas English Cody (1889-1948), the great nephew of Buffalo Bill Cody, and by family descent

Panels are currently separated, but retain most of original linking brackets and hardware, some is missing; all paintings with wear; some paintings have either vertical or horizontal cracks with loss to the paintings; some scattered scratches, lifting, and loss to pigments; three panels with lower portion of painting becoming detached at bottom; one screen with a small loss to wood carving towards top of painting; three panels with breaks and loss to carved openwork apron at bottom of panel.

$4,000 - 8,000