清 剔紅西廂故事圖插屏一對|Pair of screens with scenes from Romance of the West Chamber

Unknown

18th–19th century · Carved red lacquer · Asian Art

Small screens of lacquer or ivory were used as decoration for a desk or study in the Ming and Qing periods. This pair depicts two episodes from Romance of the West Chamber (Xixiang Ji), one of the most popular novels in China. The story recounts star-crossed lovers: the impoverished scholar Zhang Gong and Cui Yingying, the daughter of a retired chancellor. In their first encounter, seen on the lefthand panel, the hero is enthralled by the beauty of the heroine. On the righthand panel, Yingying prays on a moonlit night.

Artist

Unknown

Date

18th–19th century

Medium

Carved red lacquer

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913