the hardwood frame comprising of twelve folds secured by metal pins, each leaf inset with rectangular porcelain plaques, brightly enamelled with chronicles from the Xixiang Ji (Romance of the West Chamber), depicting narrative scenes from the love story of Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying probably derived from woodblock prints, the figures variously set in elaborate interiors amongst idyllic garden landscapes with trees and mountains, above a band of square panels enclosing 'hundred antiques' and various scholar objects, all divided and framed by smaller rectangular panels of stylised floral meander within a blue-enamelled foliate scroll border, the cusped apron each similarly decorated with a pair of chilongs writhing amongst lingzhi scrolls, confronting a shou character roundel below a flying bat, raised on a wood stand carved with two rows of lotus lappets and square scrolls

Collection of T.Y. Chao (1912-1999), and thence by descent in the family.

Skilfully executed across twelve panels, complete porcelain screens of this type are rare and it is particularly unusual to find such a large scale illustration of a popular novel. It illustrates the famous love story Xixiang ji (Romance of the Western Chamber), written in the Yuan dynasty by the playwright Wang Shifu (1260-1336). In accordance with the opulence that prevailed in the Qing period, large folding screens were an important part of furnishings and served multiple functions; from purely decorative devices to partitioning rooms in private quarters or keeping out droughts. More frequently mounted with lacquer, textile or various inlaid materials, the rarity of such porcelain screens likely lies in the difficulty of successfully forming and firing perfectly flat porcelain pieces of this large size and heavy weight, and ensuring it remained intact for subsequent firings after the application of enamels, as well as its fragility.

Only three other complete sets of porcelain screens of this type appear to have been published, all depicting scenes of Daoist immortals; one painted with the immortals celebrating the Peach Festival in the Western Paradise was sold in our New York rooms, 30th March 1983, lot 446; and two with varying scenes of the immortals, were sold at Bonhams London, the first, 15th May 2014, lot 88, and the ♌second, 11th May 2017, lot 214.

The delicately painted twelve panels of this piece provide visual clues to Xixiang ji. First composed as a zaju play, the popularity of this story continued through the centuries and became synonymous with the concept that love conquers all. The romantic and optimistic nature of the story is appropriately rendered in a famille-rose palette, which brings an added dimension of vitality. The drama tells the story of two lovers, the handsome and aspiring scholar Zhang Sheng and the beautiful Cui Yingying, who overcome various obstacles to finally unite in marriage. Fig. 1 shows a rearrangement of the porcelain panels on this screen, illustrating the origin🏅al plot of the drama in chronological order from right to left. The story commences on this screen with an introductory panel depicting Zhang Sheng and Hongniang, Cui Yingying’s maid, before depicting their first encounter at the Monastery of Universal Salvation in Puzhou, when Zhang falls deeply in love and decides to remain at the monastery to pursue her. However, his plans are threatened by the capture of Puzhou and the monastery by the bandit Flying Tiger Sun and his army, who demands Yingying’s hand in marriage. Zhang asks his old friend Du Que for help in order to fight off the bandit after Yingying’s mother promises him his daughter’s hand in return of her freedom from the 🍨bandit. Despite fighting off Flying Tiger Sun and his army, Yingying’s mother retracts the offer with the excuse that she was already promised in marriage to her cousin Zheng Heng. The desperate Zhang withdraws to his room, where Hongnian suggests he plays the zither to arouse Yingying’s feelings and following various failed attempts to win Yingying’s affection, she finally relents. Yingying’s mother discovers the affair and while trying to reprimand Hongniang for helping the couple, she agrees that in order to preserve the family’s honour, Yingying should be allowed to marry Zhang provided he passes the civil service examinations. Zhang therefore bids Yingying farewell at Shili Changting ('ten-mile pavilion') and heads to the capital, and on the first night of his journey dreams that Yingying and Hongniang join him, but are threatened by soldiers who capture the women. The screen ends with a panel showing Zhang’s success in attaining the civil examinations and his return to Yingying to fulfil his promise of marriage, and a panel depicting Hongniang.