North German Chinoiserie Folding Screen
(c. Mid-18th Century)
Polychrome Decorated Leather Six-Fold Screen
This North German Chinoiserie leather free-standing folding screen, which consists of six panels, dates to the mid-18th century. Using a variety of vibrant colors, with rich gold, most often on a dark background, each panel is painted with figural scenes within borders decorated with luxuriant images of flowers and birds.
The Chinoiserie style, a European interpretation of Asian decorative arts, used Asian inspired motifs and techniques. It began to flourish during the second half of the 17th century, with the blossoming of trade between Europe and China and other East Asian cultures.