THE ART OF WALLPAPER
– The Merchants –
Located at Forty-Five Landmark, the latest multi-experience space sitting atop Gloucester Tower, The Merchants presents contemporary Shanghainese cuisine led by award-winning Chef Chen Tian Long. The impressive space is a collaborative project between Victoria Tang-Owen and Hong Kong- and Milan-based interior architect and furniture designer Sean Dix.
The walls of the dining room are adorned with hand painted and embroidered silk wallpaper, creating a wonderful ambience to complement the sweeping views of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour.
Sliding between the mountains and emerging out of the morning mist, the tigers represent the majesty and the power of the Merchants under the Canton System (一口通商). During this era, only the southern port of Canton was open to foreign trades and the designated trading posts and warehouses were run by the Merchants. Under this monopoly, the Merchants became amongst the most influential and affluent businessmen in the world.
The hand embroidered wallpaper captures the spirit of the tigers roaming in the mountains as they personify the energy and the abundance of life during this prosperous period. The strength and softness of the brush strokes create a sense of lightness, of movement with vigour and reflect an understanding of nature that captures the unseen as much as the seen. The pine trees are a symbol of longevity and endurance, depicted with the shades of green and gold foil coming together to create a sense of vitality in the landscape.
Handcrafted by artisans in Wuxi, China, the wallpaper represents an example of the vitality of traditional Chinese craft.
