Rolls-Royce has presented three bespoke motor cars inspired by the ancient mural paintings of Dunhuang, China. The trio comprises a Phantom Extended, Black Badge Cullinan and Black Badge Spectre.
Shuai Feng, bespoke designer at Rolls-Royce Private Office Shanghai, said, “The mural art of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves is one of the most powerful symbols of our cultural heritage here in China. These artworks, created across dynasties, reflect the abstract ideals that have shaped our country’s civilization. Inspired by their colors, forms and symbolism, we reimagined these themes through hand-painted elements and carefully curated Bespoke features – a meaningful tribute that reflects Rolls-Royce’s creative dialog with China in a youthful and contemporary manner.”
The cross-cultural artistry was commissioned through Private Office Shanghai.
All three motor cars feature bespoke exterior colors. They also share a recurring design motif named Silken Spirit, conceived by Shuai Feng. The artwork was inspired by the “Spirit of Ecstasy and the flowing forms of imperial silk”, the auto maker said.
Phantom Extended
The Phantom Extended is presented in a two-tone finish. The main body is finished in Ningye Purple, a color inspired by the skies above the Great Wall of China and named after a poetic description from an 800AD Tang Dynasty verse. The upper body is rendered in contrasting English white. A Silken Spirit motif is hand-painted on the C-pillar in Ningye Purple and completes the Grace White coachline.
The motif continues into the cabin, where it is depicted in a bespoke starlight headliner with 1,344 hand-placed fiber-optic stars and 192 “shooting stars”. The interior features a hand-painted Bespoke Gallery artwork. The composition presents a landscape painting on black leather, completed with the Silken Spirit motif embroidered in white and black thread.
“To bring this sense of depth and rhythm to the gallery, I adapted a Chinese technique known as reduction block printing, where the artwork is gradually pressed onto a canvas using the same block of wood, re-crafted between paint layers,” said Chloe Dowsett, bespoke artist, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
“Once each layer is applied, the block is carefully re-carved to add depth and detail with the subsequent color. Reinterpreting this method by hand, I used a fine sable brush in place of carved wood, painting every single color individually and consecutively, allowing the image to emerge across the surface. Tiny areas of unpainted leather are deliberately left exposed, creating the illusion of carved block printing.”
The seating is finished in black and cashmere grey leathers, a colorway that is reversed for the front seats. The front and rear doors also feature expansive Canadel wood panelling in piano black and cashmere grey respectively. The rear door panels incorporate the Silken Spirit motif inlaid in stainless steel, and the symbol also appears on the rear waterfall section between the two rear seats.
Black Badge Cullinan
The Black Badge Cullinan Series II is presented in Danqian pink, a hue which extends to the centres of the 23in Black Badge forged wheels.
The front seats are finished in blushing pink leather with placed perforation, which extends onto the front doors. The pattern is designed to evoke the shifting cloud formations.
In the rear, navy leather with blushing pink piping and stitching is used to create a deeper, more immersive environment. The Silken Spirit graphic is inlaid in stainless steel on the technical fiber front fascia and the waterfall between the rear seats.
A bespoke starlight headliner has been designed to bring together the front and rear color themes. The Silken Spirit motif is rendered as an abstract illuminated graphic, which glows with a soft blushing pink light, complete with white shooting stars.
Black Badge Spectre
The Black Badge Spectre is presented in an aero two-tone. The body is finished in Qingshan blue, inspired by the mountain blues and verdant tones depicted in the Dunhuang murals, and the upper portion is presented in contrasting Diamond black.
The front seats are completed in Turchese and black leathers, and the rear seats are presented in black with contrast white stitching and piping. This unique split extends to the leather center console and lambswool carpets.
The Silken Spirit motif appears on Turchese Illuminated Treadplates. Further illuminations include Starlight Doors and a Bespoke Starlight Headliner with 1,344 stars and 192 “shooting stars”.
In related news, Rolls-Royce has presented a one-of-one Phantom Dentelle, commissioned by a Middle Eastern client as a gift for their father. This personal project was curated through the marque’s Private Office Dubai. Read the full story here
