Lot 268, L'Ecole Des Beaux Arts De L'Indochine, Spring scene in the forest with deer, pheasants and birds (A Coromandel lacquer screen), circa 1940. Estimate 350,000 — 450,000 HKD (39,859 - 51,247 EUR). Photo: Sotheby's

Lacquer on wood, in 8 parts. Each: 252 by 50 cm; 99 1/4  by 19 1/2  in. (8). Overall: 252 by 400 cm; 99 1/4  by 157 1/2  in. Executed circa 1940

Bibliography: Indochine Hebdomadaire (Indochina Weekly), Number 6, February 1941, Cover plus 5 page spread (number I to V) with the title Les Maîtres Laqueurs de Hanoi (The Masters Lacquers of Hanoi)

Note: The present lot is a stately eight panel lacquer screen, which serves as a splendid demonstration of the mastery of the Vietnamese Coromandel lacquer technique, an art form that requires an extraordinary level of technical aptitude and training.  These wooden screens were treated in dark lacquer and chiseled with sharp tools. Subsequently, the decorative incisions were then painted with gold and other colors.

Spring Scene in the Forest with Deer, Pheasants and Birds portrays a vibrant mass of intricately rendered flora and verdure against a bright blue sky, permeated with orange clouds suspended lightly in space. The blue firmament merges with the water body in the foreground, which is skillfully depicted with calm, horizontal ripples. A variety of animal species dwell within this effervescent forest, each existing peacefully in an accordant ecosystem.

Coromandel lacquer screens were a typical form of Chinese export ware and they suited the representation of linear designs. The present lot is bordered with decorative patterns and charming pictures of houseware that was so typical during that era. 

Due to the influence of Professor and painter Joseph Inguimberty and the assistance of Victor Tardieu and Evariste Jonchère, the Vietnamese artists of the School of Fine Arts in Hanoi have produced noteworthy lacquer screens between 1925 and 1945. Eventually, they raised this decorative artistry to the lofty level of fine art.

Sotheby’s. Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art, Hong Kong, 04 avr. 2016, 10:00 AM