c1850 Imperial Chinese Temple Carved Wooden Panels

A unique pair of mid-19th Century Imperial Chinese carved wooden panels, that were salvaged from destruction by a British news cameraman.

The cameraman was filming Mao Tse Tung’s (Mao Zedong) counter revolution in the 1970s and collected the pieces before they were destroyed by the Red Army. The panels are made of carved wood with woodcut style images of Chinese legends. The condition is good, although there is some edge damage and evidence of old woodworm. The panels were later wall-mounted, with small eyelets and wire.

There is a hand written note on the back explaining the origin of the panels, unfortunately, we have no knowledge as to where the palace had been.

Size 1: 20 x 25 x 3.5 cm (8 x 9 7/8 x 1 3/8 inches)
Size 2: 21 x 10.5 x 3.5 cm (8 ¼ x 4 1/8 x 1 3/8 inches)
Weight: 645 g