< Back
Inventory Number
HKU.L.1998.1316
Category In English
Wood Carvings and Furniture
Object Name
Throne and throne stand
Periods / Dynasties
Late 19th century - Early 20th century
Materials
Lacquer
No. of Items (in a Set)
1
Dimensions
130 x 124 x 89 cm
Descriptions in English
Gift of the D. H. Chen Foundation
Part of a set comprised of stools, hanging lanterns, throne fans and an eight–panel screen, this throne may have been made for an emperor of the Qing dynasty. It is suitably decorated with elaborate designs intended to convey the status of its owner, such as the five–clawed dragon—an emblem of the emperor—and auspicious bats and flowers. Cushioned and accompanied by various implements, it would have been placed on a raised platform with the screen behind to protect its occupant from negative influences.
The deeply carved surface is comprised of numerous thin layers of lacquer mixed with cinnabar—perhaps as many as one hundred. Each layer had to dry in a stable, warm environment and be polished before the next layer was applied. Creating a piece with a hundred layers could take as long as an entire year. Likely too labour–intensive even for the court to mass produce, only a few suites of this size were ever made.
Part of a set comprised of stools, hanging lanterns, throne fans and an eight–panel screen, this throne may have been made for an emperor of the Qing dynasty. It is suitably decorated with elaborate designs intended to convey the status of its owner, such as the five–clawed dragon—an emblem of the emperor—and auspicious bats and flowers. Cushioned and accompanied by various implements, it would have been placed on a raised platform with the screen behind to protect its occupant from negative influences.
The deeply carved surface is comprised of numerous thin layers of lacquer mixed with cinnabar—perhaps as many as one hundred. Each layer had to dry in a stable, warm environment and be polished before the next layer was applied. Creating a piece with a hundred layers could take as long as an entire year. Likely too labour–intensive even for the court to mass produce, only a few suites of this size were ever made.
More Detail...
View the location on Google Maps
