Pair of screens with scenes from Romance of the West Chamber

China

Not on view

Small screens of lacquer or ivory were used as decoration for a desk or study in the Ming and Qing periods. This pair depicts two episodes from Romance of the West Chamber (Xixiang Ji), one of the most popular novels in China. The story recounts star-crossed lovers: the impoverished scholar Zhang Gong and Cui Yingying, the daughter of a retired chancellor. In their first encounter, seen on the lefthand panel, the hero is enthralled by the beauty of the heroine. On the righthand panel, Yingying prays on a moonlit night.

Pair of screens with scenes from Romance of the West Chamber, Carved red lacquer, China

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Pair of screens with scenes from Romance of the West Chamber, Carved red lacquer, China
Pair of screens with scenes from Romance of the West Chamber, Carved red lacquer, China
Pair of screens with scenes from Romance of the West Chamber, Carved red lacquer, China
Pair of screens with scenes from Romance of the West Chamber, Carved red lacquer, China
Pair of screens with scenes from Romance of the West Chamber, Carved red lacquer, China

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.