A nine-leaf lacquer 'West Lake' screen


The central panels set into frame and lavishly painted in gilt on a black lacquer ground with an idyllic view of West Lake in Hangzhou with courtly ladies and gentlemen gathered in pavilions engaged in elegant pursuits amidst bridges and boats, the reverse with lengthy calligraphic inscription. 9
|清道光戊申年（公元1848年） 彩漆西湖園遊九開屏風Provenance: a Swiss private collection來源： 瑞士私人收藏Hangzhou in Zhejiang province is famous for its historic and cultural scenic spots dotted around its famous West Lake. With famous scholar-poets such as Bai Juyi 白居易 (772-846) and Su Dongpo 蘇東坡 (1037-1101) as former governors, West Lake became a major attraction for the literati who travelled there to write and paint their own impressions. For related screens with depictions of West Lake, see W.De Kesel and G.Dhont, Coromandel Lacquer Screens, Ghent, 2002, pp.71-75.