Chinese Door Lintel with Floral and Phoenix Motifs

Crossbeam with flower clusters at the ends and a quiet middle.

This door lintel with floral and phoenix motifs is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 18th century. It is carved & painted poplar. Many Chinese antiques are now returning to China through auction houses and foreign dealers, as Chinese buyers actively purchase older pieces back, which the article describes as reclaiming their heritage. Long strip with sculpted flowers and leaves swelling out at each end, below a smooth central bar. The surface is dry and faded gray-brown with dark traces in the deep carving and some small chips. It is 87 inches long, 7 deep and 22 high.

All the drama is at the ends, as it should be.