A LARGE CARVED SONGHUA STONE SCREEN QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

the rectangular stone panel deftly carved through several layers of stone revealing shades of tan, grey, green and red, depicting in low relief with a scholar and his attendant standing on the banks of a river beneath tall pine trees and other bare trees, the reverse incised with five poems carved in several styles of calligraphy, the characters picked-out in gilt, mounted in a wooden frame

The overall condition is very good with some minor chips to the frame. But the stone carving is in very good condition. There is minor loss to a branch on one of the trees. There may be a few areas where a few pieces of stone may have been stuck on for added depth.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Songhua stone belongs to the sedimentary rock family and is named after the Songhua River in Jilin province, which was the Manchu homeland in the northeast part of the Qing empire. Its smooth surface and natural brown and green colouration endowed the stone with many decorative possibilities. Moreover its association with the Manchu motherland made it particularly popular with the Qing rulers.

It is rare to find screens carved from Songhua stone, however inkstones and inkstone covers made from this material are known; see a rectangular cover carved with a scholar in a landscape included in A Special Exhibition of Sunghua Inkstone, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1993, cat. no. 56. A panel carved with two travellers in a boat before cliffs and pavilions, with the medium catalogued as 'slate' was sold at Christie's London, 8^th December 1986, lot 452.