Pair of Finely Carved Chinese Calligraphy Panels (Trade)

Each panel in this pair is topped with a deeply carved dragon rising from stylized waves, a motif traditionally reserved for architectural elements meant to convey protection and authority. Below the dragon, a vertical column of hand-carved Chinese characters runs the length of each panel — the two panels read as a matched couplet, a form historically mounted in pairs flanking a doorway or courtyard entrance, with the verse split across both sides. We have not had the calligraphy formally translated; The wood has darkened to a deep oxidized brown with visible grain and old surface wear consistent with age. Both panels have warped slightly along their length over the years — a common outcome for narrow, unsupported wood panels of this age — but they remain fully functional as wall-mounted pieces, each fitted with its original iron ring hanger at the top. At just 6" wide and 55" tall each, this pair suits a narrow wall run, a stairwell, or flanking a doorway as originally intended — hung with a gap between them to let the couplet read as a matched set rather than crowded together. *Era: 19th–early 20th century, estimated (exact date not confirmed) *Material: Carved Wood *Size:…