A SET OF FOUR CHINESE IRON PICTURES, TIEHUA

A SET OF FOUR CHINESE IRON PICTURES, TIEHUA
QING DYNASTY

Depicting chrysanthemum, bamboo, a willow tree and a fruiting vine, each contained in a wood frame, 139cm x 42cm. (4)

The art of tiehua, literally meaning 'iron picture', is traditionally associated with the blacksmith and painter Tang Peng (or Tang Tienchi) who lived in Wuhu Xian during the Kangxi period, 1662-1722. Tradition asserts that Tang, aware of being less talented than his famous neighbour painter Xiao Yuncong, 1596-1673, decided to create a new art form in which he could express himself. Made from hammered iron sheets, these pictures imitate the compositions and motifs of traditional brush paintings. The contrast of the iron designs painted black and hung on the white wall of a scholar's studio is a direct reference to the paintings on silk.

清 鐵畫 一組四件