So, twenty years ago my father-in-law was going to throw these Chinese wall hangings in a dumpster. We brought them home as they belonged to his aunt whose husband and her worked for Aramco oil in Suadi and travelled a lot and bought a ton of stuff. Now that as a couple we are older and have a better insurance rate we are looking to figure out what we have as we would like to find out so we can insurance the heirlooms. Can anyone help us identify what we have as i am running into brick walls using google.
These are wall panels beautifully executed in the Qianjiang porcelain painting style. The latter imitates classic Chinese painting done on paper or silk. This is from the 20th century. The two marks say "Made in the Qianlong period" 乾隆年製.
The way the first mark is done - white on a red ground - is typical for items from the ealry 20th century and later.Comparing the panels to the stair steps in size it looks as if the center panels are too big for an earlier time too. Due to manufacturing limitations plaques made in the 19th century usually are hardly exceeding 25~30cm max. in size.
If you wish you can also upload partial images showing the wooden frames and back of the panels. Sometimes these are more valuable than the porcelain inserts.
>>> I have always been amazed as they are not nailed or screwed just wood joints.
They are very capable at joinery for sure. They can build furniture even without glue, everything is interconnected via the joints.
Another two Pics
I measured the frames and they are 44 1/4 long and 14 inches wide. Thank you very much for the help and knowledge.
Looks as if there are at least two different types of wood. Stan, do you think the outer frame could be Zitan? The grain on the surface looks somewhat as if it was.
Hi Peter, it does look like Zitan wood to me, I can't tell if the wood has been painted or not but the grain is nice and tight as you would find on Zitan wood, Zitan is a very dark wood.
In other words, if the porcelain plaques were made with modern methods and the wood is really zitan, as it seems in the pictures, then the frame might be more valuable.
So, I should take it to an appraiser? not sure.
I wouldn't do that either. It doesn't mean that the price is very high with porcelain plaques that are from the 20th century. It is just that Zitan wood has become one of the most expensive woods in the last decades. If it would be furniture with a lot of it, that might be another matter.
The panels just look good as they are now. :-)
Thank you