Description
A polychrome painted and gilt decorated six-fold leather screen, or room divider, circa 1800.
Superbly painted with exotic tropical birds perched on branches surrounded by gilt-foliate decorated borders, echoing the fashion for Chinoiserie so prevalent at that time.
In excellent condition throughout.
Measures:
H 223 cm (87 3/4’’)
W 318 cm (125’’)
D 3.5 cm (1 1/2’’).
Nb. This antique example is of particularly imposing size, retaining vibrant colours, and is ready to add great atmosphere to any room.
These large sophisticated screens look equally well when wall-mounted, or positioned as room dividers.
The fashion icon Coco Chanel is believed to have owned 32 folding screens. Her apartment at 31 Rue Cambon, Paris, had eight of them which she freely used in numerous ingenious ways – she dressed her walls with them, like wallpaper – and used them to give structure to her private spaces. It is also said that she used them to hide the doors.
A number of these fine leather screens originated in Córdoba, Spain, and panels were used as costly wall coverings.
Refs:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuir_de_Cordoue.
