THREE FINELY CARVED IMPERIAL NANMU PORTAL PANELS 'LIUHE TONGCHUN' China, 19th ct. L/R: 184 x 75 x 8 ; M: 204 x 73 x 8 cm Three imperial portal panels in excellent carving in relief openwork on both sides made of Nanmu. They are panels of a large 'luodi huazhao' (wooden partition with decorated friezes according to nature with lateral borders from the ceiling to the floor). A portal panel from the upper end with decoration of rocks, lingzhi, daffodil and the various curved flower branches of peonies, magnolia and ornamental quince; a panel originating from the passage border of the right side and decorated with daffodils and lingzhi growing in rocks, a standing crane was decorated in front of dense curved peony branches under a pine tree, the counterpart panel originating from the passage border of the left side was decorated accordingly with daffodils and lingzhi and rocks and a standing deer in front of the curved dense peach branches under a pine tree. The overall decor design shows both the aesthetic symmetry and a vivid depiction with the rich variations. These traditional decorations with depictions of deer and crane along with other plants symbolize the auspicious meaning of peonies, peach, daffodil, pine and bamboo as in the present carving, were called liuhe tongchun in classical China: The word liuhe homophonously denotes deer (Lu = Liu) and crane (in Chin. : He) and means the universe is composed of heaven, earth and the four directions; the further flowers and trees patterns in this design, such as the blooming peony branches, the peach branches full of fruits, the growing daffodil, vivid and vigorous pine and bamboo together form a vivid representation as in spring, that is in Chinese tongchun, therefore liuhe tongchun symbolizes that all in the world have received their spring of life. Finely carved in openwork and deep relief on both sides, these hardwood partitions with a passageway opening in the center - sometimes worked as an opening for a window with side borders - are called zhao (wooden partition with frieze) in Chinese and are classic decorative designs of interior design during the Qing period. There are various types of 'zhao' in the palace: such as 'jituizhao' (zhao in the shape of table legs), luodi zhao (zhao with side borders from floor to ceiling), huazhao (zhao with decoration according to nature), lan'gan zhao (zhao in the shape of a parapet), kang zhao (zhao in front of the kang bed), etc. The present carvings are panels of a large 'luodi huazhao'(zhao with side borders from the ceiling to the floor and a decoration according to nature). Important German aristocratic private collection, assembled in China prior to 1904 and owned by the family since then According to the scientific research of Mrs. Zhang Shuxian in Beijing Palace Museum, these imperial 'zhao' with decorations according to nature, especially with decorations of various birds, flowers, trees, animals, vine, vine, etc. as auspicious symbols are said to have been made in the palace not earlier than during the Daoguang period. For the decoration of 'zhao' in the 18th century in the palace, usually only regular geometric shapes were used. The zhao with the decor according to nature were very popular with Emperor Mother Cixi (1835-1908), who occupied Changchun Palace before 1884 and Chuxiu Palace from 1884. In various interiors of the two palaces, many of these large partitions like the present panels were decorated inside and made with relief and breakthrough on both sides of expensive hardwood such as Zitan, Nanmu and others with the various vivid friezes after nature. Literature: Zhu Wanshu et al (Eds.), qingdai xiqu yu gongtingwenhua (Theater and Imperial Art in the Court of the Qing Period), Nanjing, 2018; The Palace Museum Ancient Architecture Department (ed.), The Illustrated Catalogue of the Architecture and Decor of the Imperial Palace, Beijing, 1995