Screen with Five-Character Couplet in Seal Script

This is a screen composed of eight panels dating from the Qing dynasty. Screens were chiefly used as partitions in homes, either indoors or outdoors. They were placed between pillars or walls and would be made to measure for the space where they were required. Each screen could include four, six, or eight panels, and each panel rotated on hinges. Each panel has a wooden frame, and the middle is divided into three areas. Typically the bottom part is opaque and the top part is fretted or has an openwork design to allow light and air to pass through. The screen is exquisitely made and the bottom part is painted with flowers and people in a garden landscape. The top part has gold leaf, openwork, and a five-character couplet written in seal script. Wood carving and gold lacquer are prominent throughout and the style is simple and elegant.