Page 136 - Bonhams, Fine Chinese Art, London November 3, 2022

THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN 紳士藏品
161
A RARE IMPERIAL ZITAN ‘DRAGON’ CABINET, KANGGUI
18th century
The cabinet of rectangular shape with square corners, inset on front
and sides with well carved panels, each enclosing a writhing five-
clawed dragon amidst swirling clouds, fitted with a pair of doors to the
front opening to reveal the interior fitted with a shelf above two drawers
and a covered storage well, the conforming upper section similarly
constructed, the interior plain, all supported on four gilt mounted short
legs joined by cloud-scroll spandrelled aprons.
60.5cm (25 6/8in) high x 35cm (13 6/8in) wide x 17cm (6 5/8in) deep

£40,000 - 60,000
CNY310,000 - 470,000

十八世紀 御製紫檀雕雲龍紋炕櫃

Provenance: an English private collection, and thence by descent; the
Lot 161 showing in an old family Christmas card cabinet is illustrated in an old family card showing an interior

來源：英國私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今

It is highly likely that the present cabinet was acquired by Captain Compare with a pair of similar zitan cabinets of similar size and design,
Stephen Bowles - Evans RN (1876-1918). It is known that he made which was sold at Sotheby’s New York, 3 May 1977, lot 24. See also
voyages to Asia and was an extremely keen collector of Chinese and a larger compound cabinet carved with dragons, in the Qing Court
Japanese works of art. In 1911 he served on H.M.S. Hindustan, at the Collection, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures
same time as the then Prince of Wales, later H.R.H Edward VIII. in the Palace Museum. Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties,
In 1918 he died from Spanish Flu. vol.2, Hong Kong, 2002, pl.211. Compare also the dragon carving on
a zitan chest illustrated in Splendour of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong,
Superbly carved with ferocious scaly five-clawed dragons among 1992, no.309. See also a related zitan cabinet, Qianlong, decorated
tumultuous waves, the present cabinet is constructed from the finest with dragons amidst clouds, in the Philadelphia Museum of Art,
quality zitan wood, a material reserved for the Imperial Court. The Philadelphia, no.1929-91-3b.
subject matter of five-clawed dragons, and the high quality of the
carving, point strongly to it being made for the Imperial family. A similar carved zitan ‘dragon’ cabinet, 18th century, was sold at
Sotheby’s New York, 15 September 2018, lot 1318.
Compact cabinets such as the present example were constructed of
two matched cabinets stacked on top of each other, each fitted with a
pair of doors. This type, was known as a kanggui, as it was suitable for
use on the kang, a hollow brick platform where hot air is driven through
to create a warm living space.

The manufacturing process of this cabinet involved the complex blend
of five essential fields: symbolism of the imagery, aesthetic taste,
design, material and craftsmanship. The entire composition symbolises
the emperor’s rule of the earth and the sky. Such imagery, historically
popular among, and exclusive to, the Imperial family, thus places the
present cabinet in the highest class of Chinese furniture. The design
of confronted dragons - primary representation of the emperor’s
supremacy - reflects how the emperor wished to present himself: a
benevolent ruler and ultimate authority of the empire.

The cabinet encapsulates the exacting taste of the Qianlong emperor,
who created a legacy of great Imperial splendour and he surrounded
himself with furnishings, object and artefacts that represented his
passion for sumptuous display demonstrating the prosperity of the
empire at its peak.

Image courtesy of the Palace Museum, Beijing

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
134 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.