An elegant mid-20th-century Chinese four-panel folding screen, finished in a deep black lacquer and richly decorated with finely detailed figural and architectural scenes in gilt and coloured relief. The front depicts scholars and courtiers engaged in daily activities within the grounds of a traditional palace or noble residence, surrounded by pavilions, terraces, gardens and stylised cloud motifs. Executed in the manner of traditional Coromandel lacquer screens, the decoration is highlighted in gold, red and soft earth tones against a dramatic black ground, with each panel framed by an ornate scrolling border. The reverse is equally decorative, featuring a contrasting black lacquer finish embellished with birds among flowering branches and trees, allowing the screen to be displayed attractively from either side.
