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Screen

ca. 1720-1770 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
London (made)

A six-folded gilt leather screen with a chinoiserie decoration of birds, peonies, trees, grapes, a variety of flowers, rocks etc. The four borders have been decorated with smaller compartments with vases and bowls, made of blue and white porcelain and basketwork, and filled with flowers and fruit. Painted in several colours on a gilded ground which has been punched with several different stamps. The top part (i.e. 12 cm.) of the screen has been cut off (because of damage, or simply to fit in a specific small room). The back of the screen has been painted black with a simple vegetable flower ornamentation in yellow within a yellow line. The punched edging-strips are from a later date.


Object details

Categories
Interiors
Leather
Object type
Screen
Materials and techniques
Gilded leather
Leather
Gilding
Brief description
A six-folded gilt leather screen with a chinoiserie decoration of birds, peonies, rocks etc. The four borders have been decorated with smaller compartments with vases and bowls, made of porcelain and basketwork, and filled with flowers and fruit. Painted in several colours on a gilded ground, London, ca. 1720-1770.
Physical description
A six-folded gilt leather screen with a chinoiserie decoration of birds, peonies, trees, grapes, a variety of flowers, rocks etc. The four borders have been decorated with smaller compartments with vases and bowls, made of blue and white porcelain and basketwork, and filled with flowers and fruit. Painted in several colours on a gilded ground which has been punched with several different stamps. The top part (i.e. 12 cm.) of the screen has been cut off (because of damage, or simply to fit in a specific small room). The back of the screen has been painted black with a simple vegetable flower ornamentation in yellow within a yellow line. The punched edging-strips are from a later date.
Dimensions
  • One fold height: 200cm
  • One fold width: 55cm
Original measurements: H. 6 ft. W.10 ft. 9 in.
Object history
According to a letter dd. 22/04/1899 this screen has been 'in Mr. Woods's family for at any rate a century'. The screen has been lent to the Museum from 29th June 1899 up to it was given on 22nd June 1912.

This style of painting on leather in Chinoiseries style seems to have been a particularity of London makers and is discussed in Jean-Pierre Fournet, Cuirs Dorées, "Cuirs de Courdoue", un art Européen (Château de Saint-Remy-en-l'Eau: 2019), pp. 202-206.
Bibliographic references
  • Hans Huth, 'English chinoiserie gilt leather', Burlington Magazine, LXXI (July 1937) page 32, plate I-c,d
  • E.A. Entwisle, The book of wallpaper. A history and an appreciation, London 1954, plate 19
  • Joseph Leiss, 'Ledertapeten', in: Heinrich Olligs, Tapeten. Ihre Geschichte bis zur Gegenwart, Band I: Tapeten-Geschichte, Braunschweig 1970, Abb. 60
  • Woodbury Adams, Janet. Decorative folding screens in the West from 1600 to the present day. London: Thames & Hudson, 1982, pp. 48-50
Collection
Furniture and Woodwork Collection
Accession number
W.8-1912

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O369600/screen-unknown/
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