A Beautiful Vietnamese Mother Pearl Table Screen shows a water scene typically seen in both Chinese and Vietnamese paintings. The table screen sits on a wooden base with a marble centre panel.
Two dragons are superbly carved on the top of the screen with a central yin-yang motif in mother of pearl. The screen resembles an open scroll which exposes a scene in the daily life of those in the boat and their surroundings.
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Mother of pearl decorates both the edges of the scroll and again on the rounded scroll side sections. The central scene is superbly inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Two carved qilin decorate the bottom of the screen, flanked by what appears to be a Taotie mask in the centre. The screen is supported by two carved lion guardian feet.
The wood on this table screen is possibly Huanghuali wood. Huanghuali wood is considered to be the king of hardwoods. Many antique Chinese and Vietnamese furniture surviving today are made from Huanghuali wood. Most Huanghuali wood trees are found on Hainan Island, on China’s south coast, in Thailand and in southern Vietnam. These are the only areas today in which this wood is found.
The stone set into the stand on which the screen rests is possibly Dali stone. For over a thousand years Dali stone has been used in a myriad of objects and is inlaid or mounted in table screens such as this screen, furniture, pictures representing a painting and a myriad of other decorative objects for over a thousand years and is still being used today. Objects with this particular marble are highly prized by collectors and great importance is placed on the pattern within the marble.
For over a thousand years Dali stone has been used in a myriad of objects and is inlaid or mounted in table screens, furniture, pictures representing a painting and a myriad of other decorative objects for over a thousand years and is still being used today. Objects with this particular marble are highly prized by collectors and great importance is placed on the pattern within the marble.
Furniture made from this wood is highly prized and is an expensive hardwood.
The meaning of Huanghuali: ‘Huang’ refers to the yellowish-brown colour of the wood whilst the term ‘Huali’ means ‘flowering pear’. Colours can range from pale honey to purple-brown. The wood has a distinctive grain which is reminiscent of mountain landscape and has a golden sheen when polished, giving it an almost translucent quality. It is also resistant to wood-eating insects. The marble panel is similar to the marble coming from the Dali area in China. A marble that is highly prized for its unique ethereal patterns resembling mountains and scenes from nature.
