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An Ornamental Balustrade, from Shanxi Province
19th century Chinese private homes tend to be unprepossessing from the street. Inside, and especially around the inner courtyard, a family's wealth was on display. Confucius described the ideal man as having a plain exterior, but holding hidden treasures, and the elaborate courtyards of Qing Dynasty homes are the architectural extensions of that doctrine. There are rows of carved doors, windows, and decorative panels; this beautiful latticework balustrade comes from the upper balcony of such a home. We have four matching pieces, two short and two long, and the one you see pictured is one of the longer pair. It is built of sprucewood except for the central camphorwood panel, which depicts a gathering of gentlemen under a small pavilion. The complicated lattice combines carvings of vases, peonies, and lotuses, and the top-rail is braced on five free-standing vases. The uprights and stretchers have a central double bead, and the top-posts are surmounted by carved flowers. The joinery is mitre and tenon. This balustrade is from a provincial home in northeastern China, and dates from the middle of the 19th century. It was exposed to the weather, which has worn off almost all of the original lacquer. It measures 97 inches long, by 36 inches high, by 2 ½ inches deep. The price is $3,900.
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