Antikes Holzrelief China - Unknown artist- China

This object is an antique Chinese wooden relief (often referred to as a Furniture Panel or Window/Bed Lattice Fragment).
These characteristic carvings were very popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries (late Qing Dynasty to the Republican era). They were usually not created as pure wall pictures, but originally served as decorative inserts for traditional Chinese bridal beds, wedding cupboards, room dividers, or temple fences.

Description of the object

• Motif & Craft: A delicate, filigree openwork carving is visible (Openwork / Pierced Carving). The classic Asian natural motif "Birds and Blossoms" (often peonies/lotus and songbirds), which in Chinese culture stands for harmony, prosperity, and a happy family life, is depicted.
• Technique & Colors:
• Front side: The carved wood was traditionally first coated with a protective lacquer, then a red base layer (often visible in the background or on edges), and finally a sheet of gold was applied. The dark (bluish-gray/black) outer frame visually emphasizes the golden relief.
• Back side: Here you can see the untreated, raw carrier wood with the typical coarse smoothings from chisel and carving tools. The reddish base coat is clearly visible in the recesses. A sticker with numbers (possibly from an earlier auction or a dealer) is also present.
• Condition: The piece shows authentic signs of age and use, slight wear to the gilding, and minor drying cracks in the wood, which is completely normal for objects of this age and underscores the antique charm.

• Not a mass-produced item: It is a hand-carved original and not a modern pressed-wood item.
• Size: With 40 cm in length, it belongs to the smaller to mid-sized segments, making it particularly easy to place today as a decorative wall object.