Rolls-Royce Unveils Stunning Trio Inspired By Chinese Mural Art

Rolls-Royce’s customizations and bespoke projects are truly something to behold. The company’s ability to bring artwork and ideas to life in physical representations push the limits of imagination. Underlining its expertise in this area, Rolls-Royce has announced a trio of bespoke commissions inspired by the ancient mural paintings of Dunhuang, China. The project includes Phantom Extended, Black Badge Cullinan, and Black Badge Spectre models.

Shuai Feng, Bespoke Designer at Rolls-Royce’s Private Office in 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 civilisation. Inspired by their colours, 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 dialogue with China in a youthful and contemporary manner.”

Believed to have first been carved out in 366AD, the Dunhuang Mogao Caves feature around 45,000 sqm of murals and more than 2,000 painted sculptures. The UNESCO World Heritage site is said to represent the greatest Buddhist artwork from the 4th to the 14th century. Located along a strategic point on the ancient Silk Route murals depict key insights into the historic cultural landscape. Today, 492 caves are preserved and most recently, a library cave was discovered in 1990 which housed tens of thousands of manuscripts.

With such a rich history to draw on, the clients worked with the Rolls-Royce team at the company’s private office in Shanghai to create the final designs. The collaborative design work produced a motif dubbed Silken Spirit. The concept represents China’s cultural history combined with the Spirit of Ecstasy and the fluid nature of imperial silk.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended

Stepping outside of the caves, the Phantom Extended’s Ningye Purple paintwork is inspired by the skies above the Great Wall of China. The color gets its name from a poetic description from an 800 AD Tang Dynasty verse. The deep hue is set against English White and a Ningye Purple Silken Spirit motif is hand-painted on the C-pillar

Inside, there’s a starlight headliner with 1,344 fibre-optic ‘stars’ and 192 ‘shooting stars’. The night sky shines down on a hand-painted landscape on black leather. To add another texture to the piece, the Silken Spirit motif is embroidered in white and black, designed as a nod to flying apsaras – celestial beings in Buddhist art.

Chloe Dowsett, Bespoke Artist at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars said: “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. Once each layer is applied, the block is carefully re-carved to add depth and detail with the subsequent colour.

“Reinterpreting this method by hand, I used a fine sable brush in place of carved wood, painting every single colour 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.”

Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan

The Black Badge Cullinan Series II is the most eye-catching model of the trio with its Danqian Pink paintwork. The pink theme continues inside with blushing pink leather and more than 100,000 tiny perforations to create cloud patterns across the leather. The bright front seats contrast against navy leather in the rear with blushing pink piping and stitching.

Again, the Silken Spirit motif features throughout the vehicle including in a contrasting black on the C-pillar and more prominently inside. The Black Badge Cullinan’s custom starlight headliner is arranged in a Silken Spirit graphic and illuminated with blushing pink lights and white ‘shooting stars’.

Rolls-Royce Black Badge Spectre

A two-tone Diamond Black and Qingshan Blue Black Badge Spectre completes the commissions. Its special paint color was inspired by the mountain blues and greeny tones seen in the Dunhuang murals. At the front, a turchese illuminated grille finishes off the exterior specification.

The color scheme carries through to the inside with contrasting turchese and black leather. Illuminated treadplates bear the Silken Spirit motif and the Spectre also features starlight doors and a starlight headliner with more than 1,000 stars individually placed by Rolls-Royce’s craftspeople.