Folding screen - Burr walnut - Kashmiri room screen 1915

Monumental 4-panel Kashmiri room divider – deeply hand-carved and pierced wood – floral motifs – circa 1900–1930

An exceptionally large and richly decorated four-panel room divider, presumably from Kashmir / North India and dating from the first half of the 20th century.

The screen stands out in particular for the exceptional amount of deeply hand-carved, fully pierced carving. The panels are composed of floral vines, flowers and distinctive leaf motifs, with leaves and branches carved at different levels, weaving over and under one another. This creates a beautiful three-dimensional effect, with considerable depth and interplay of light and shadow.

The broad stiles and horizontal rails are also almost entirely hand-decorated. They feature continuous bands of flowers and vines against a finely worked background. A closer look reveals just how much craftsmanship has gone into this screen.

The four tall panels are crowned at the top by individually pierced floral ornaments. Even the open sections at the bottom feature carved floral motifs and elegant, Eastern-style arches.

Probably made from a heavy hardwood, possibly Kashmiri walnut, a wood traditionally used for the highly refined carving of this region.

Dimensions:
Height: approx. 180 cm
Width per panel: approx. 45 cm
Total width when fully opened: approx. 180 cm
Panel thickness: approx. 4 cm
Weight: approx. 60 kg

The screen has a beautiful warm patina and signs of wear consistent with its age and use. In the past, a few small sections of the delicate pierced carving were damaged. The missing parts have since been carefully restored, so the decorative composition once again appears complete.

Old restorations and localized signs of wear remain visible and are part of the object's history.

A highly imposing interior piece that can be used as a room screen, room divider or freestanding decorative art object.

Due to its size, weight and particularly deep carving, this is a considerably higher-quality example than the commonly found, more lightly carved Indian decorative screens.

Condition: good antique condition, with signs of age and use and restorations; please see the extensive photographs for a detailed impression.

Given its size, and especially its weight, collection in person is strongly preferred.