On November 30, 2023, at Aguttes’, a 4-panel lacquered screen will be auctioned.
ÉCOLE DES BEAUX-ARTS DE L’INDOCHINE, CIRCA 1940-50
‘Jonques dans la baie’
Lacquer with gold, silver, and mother-of-pearl highlights, signed with the stamp “XN MY NGHE V.N HANOÏ” on the back.
Four-panel screen.
Full screen: 100 × 157.9 cm. Height: 100 cm. Width of panels: 100 × 157.9 cm.
Width of each panel: 39.5 + 39.4 + 39.5 + 39.5 cm.
PROVENANCE
Private collection, Paris region
If we just look at the photo, we can see that this is a beautiful lacquered screen, with a complex wide scene layout, meticulous and thorough details but symmetrical and harmonious shape… It must be the work of an artist who is well-educated and skilled in his craft. In addition to the theme and the civilized and solid style, the basic materials used from black, vermilion, gold, and silver are traditional lacquer such as “mountains are black and brown; red boats and trees; the sky and water surface are plated with gold and silver on a solid background color.” This painting technique is commonly used on lacquer works of art (early) and before 1945.
On the back of the screen is written “XN MY NGHE V.N HANOÏ”, temporarily translated as Việt Nam Fine Crafts Enterprise, Hà Nội. Currently, Viet Art View has not found information about “XN MY NGHE V.N HANOÏ”. Was this place formed after 1945 or 1954? Because XN is only temporarily translated as “ENTERPRISE”, it seems most reasonable.
Viet Art View only knows information that after 1954, in Northern Việt Nam there was Bình Minh Lacquer Cooperative (in Duyên Thái commune, Thường Tín district, former Hà Sơn Bình province) established in 1959 and ended its production activities in 1979. This is one of the major cooperatives in the production of fine art lacquer orders for socialist countries in Eastern Europe. In addition, there are a number of other small places.
Currently, in Việt Nam, there is a 1/1 similar screen to the one about to be auctioned at Aguttes but signed “Phạm Văn Đôn”. Viet Art View has a photo of this work, but for privacy reason with the owner, it cannot be posted. We hope you understand.
So, is the screen that is about to be auctioned at Aguttes a creation after artist Phạm Văn Đôn (the first one)? Is it the same case as some lacquer screen paintings “Nine carp in the lake” by artist Phạm Hậu, of which there are several copies (have appeared). Or are they all produced by “XN MY NGHE V.N HANOÏ” for orders such as Thành Lễ, Trần Hà, Mê Linh in the South… and artist Phạm Văn Đôn is the creator of the model. Or the case of a lacquer screen in Việt Nam whose name has been added? All can only be hypotheses…
And in fact, this is a very beautiful 4-panel lacquered screen, worth collecting. If later, we find more accurate, in-depth information, or something else even more interesting, then the “interesting side stories” will be added to the “tangible value”.
Written by VIET ART VIEW
Copyrights belong to Viet Art View
