Chinese Wall Panels

Chinese wall panels were typically made of lacquered and decorated wood, and functioned mostly as decoration, but also as a room divider like the Chinese standing screen. Lacquered wood panels were the original style of screen creation – these inlaid dividers were called Coromandel screens.

During the Qing Dynasty, Chinese lacquered wood panels and dividers were created in masses due to a high demand for this type of furniture overseas. Emperor Qianlong (1735-1796) also commissioned beautiful lacquered furniture like wall panels and dividers to fill his palaces. The Chinese made smaller paneled works to be hung for display, and were not meant to be moved around frequently.

Quick Facts

• In creating Coromandel style Chinese wood panels, a lacquer was applied to create a dark background within which lighter elements like ivory or mother of pearl were inlaid to create designs
• As much as 30 layers of lacquer might be added to a wall panel, each layer taking several days to fully dry before the next application
• Coromandel screens are named after the Coromandel Coast in India where goods, such as Chinese panels and dividers, were traded with Western foreigners