Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 27. (Budapest, 2009)

Györgyi FAJCSÁK - Andrea FÜZES: Chinese Embroidered Screen from the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries

GYÖRGYI FAJCSÁK - ANDREA FÜZES CHINESE EMBROIDERED SCREEN FROM THE TURN OF THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES HISTORY AND RESTORATION "... the latest world'sfair, whose essence, guiding principle and primary purpose was to discover and propagate the hitherto-hidden productive power of Europe and indeed of the furthestflung parts of the world, displaying the quality and industrial potential oftheir products, and the very finest of the multifarious profusion oj craft works madefrom them..!' wrote Imre Vahot in his book of memoirs of the 1862 Great London Exposition, published in Pest.

1 The book goes on to say of the exhibition of Chinese art: "The Heavenly Kingdom, although isolating itself from the world, shows great talent and progress in the matter of industry and art. Its beautiful porcelain is unsurpassed in material, form and painting. Its bronze sculptures, gold, carvings oj ivory and ebony, magnificent Jans, fine lace and porphyry bathing pools, with all their bizarreness, bear witness to an aspiration to higher ideals."

1 Chinese products were a constant feature at the series of world's fairs from the mid19

t

h century on. They included bronze vessels; lacquered, bamboo and wooden furniture, particularly stands and screens, the latter with embroidered and painted leaves; carvings (ivory, soapstone, sandalwood and ebony); and diverse sets of porcelain with colour overglazed decoration. The screen was not an unknown furniture type in Europe in the second half of the 19

th century. As trade with the Far East started up 1. Lacquered screen with hunting scene from the Prince's lacquer cabinet in the Esterházy Palace, Eszterháza. China, mid-18th century. Reconstruction of Györgyi Fajcsák (National Trust of Monuments, Hungary) 165