Intricate Chinese Carved, Lacquered, and Gilt Wood Panel. Dozens of figures maneuver through a golden scene surrounded by floral and animal motifs. 

Size: 25 X 16 X 1 in. 

#5303 . 

The history of wood carving in China dates back far into past Millenniums, but the ravages of time and destructive events over China’s turbulent history have destroyed most of these perishable treasures. Articles of furniture and wooden panels dating back to at least the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) can be found in museums today with their carvings still intact. Often they depicted great battles, scenes from legend, or even simple tableaus of contemporary Chinese life. Wood carving reached its golden age in the later Ming and early Qing Dynasties around the end of the 17th into the 19th Centuries, as the wealthy classes swelled in number through trade and commerce, commissioning more and more pieces of ever-increasing intricacy. Demand lessened somewhat in the early 20th Century as “Western” fashions and styles began to grow in popularity, but it has seen a growing resurgence in the 21st Century. With the onset of Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution (1966-76), many of these delicate and beautiful images were deemed bourgeois and counter-revolutionary, and tens of thousands of carvings were burned or defaced. The ones that did survive and that are still available today are likely to have been hidden or disguised by their owners, who wished to hold onto their cherished heirlooms and were brave enough to risk the wrath of the Red Guards. In more modern times, appreciation for this art form has grown substantially, with the current government recognizing them as an important artistic trend of China that should be nourished and revitalized instead of squashed.