Mon, 20 Oct 2025 03:58:58 +0000

Traditional Chinese windows used wooden lattice grilles—often painted red and sometimes gilded—originally backed with paper so the pattern’s shadow became the “view.” Motifs weren’t random: the cloud-shaped ruyi (as-you-wish) design promised good fortune, while red and gold signaled happiness and wealth. Panels like this migrated from houses and halls to the gallery wall, bringing centuries of joinery and symbolism with them.