PHAM HAU (1903-1995) - Lot 50

PHAM HAU (1903-1995) Four-leaf lacquered wood screen, with incised decoration of cranes on a weeping willow branch and in flight in the setting sun, on an aventurine lacquer background, reminiscent of Japanese Byōbu, the reverse in gold lacquer. Signed lower right in gold with the artist's stamp. H: 140 cm - W: 46 cm (for two leaves) and 46.5 cm (for the other two leaves) (cracks, small dents and distortion) Born in 1903 in the village of Đông Ng ạc located in Ha Dong province, Pham Hau is a Vietnamese artist and master lacquerer. His meeting with artist Nguyen Nam Son, was to be decisive in his career. He graduated from the Hanoi School of Fine Arts in 1934. His apprenticeship in the lacquer technique made him a pioneer in the production of furniture and other lacquered objects. The creation of his National School of Crafts in 1949, the country's first university of applied art and still active today as the University of Industrial Fine Art, demonstrates his commitment to the development and transmission of his knowledge. The screen presented here draws on the artist's favorite themes, such as depictions of landscapes, forests and animals. The positive image of the crane, a symbol of peace and longevity, gives the work both an aesthetic and poetic dimension.