Carved Hongmu Headboard from Qing Marriage Bed
January 2013 Auction by Far East Asian Art

Fine relief carving on this late Qing Chinese bed panel expresses symbolic wishes for good fortune. Made of beautifully grained hongmu (Chinese mahogany), the long panel (88 inches) is suitable for use over a king-sized bed. Stylized characters and traditional symbols, most likely chosen by the parents who commissioned the work, were used to bestow wishes on the newly married couple for long and happy lives. Carvings within the three rectangular sections demonstrate the Chinese love of homonyms...