Page 50 - Bonhams, Fine Chinese Art, London November 3, 2022

115 * TP Y
A HUANGHUALI THREE-SHELF BOOKCASE, JIAGE
Mid Qing Dynasty
Of rectangular form and standard mitre, mortise and tenon
construction, the round slender corner posts framing the softwood top
panel and three shelves, one of which surmounts a pair of drawers,
and secured around the shelves by a three-sided openwork railing
comprising of kuilong patterns, the corner posts extending to form the
feet, joined by plain apron and spandrels.
188cm (74in) high, 79.5cm (31 1/4in) wide, 41cm (16in) deep.

£50,000 - 80,000
CNY390,000 - 630,000

清中期 黃花梨三層透雕夔龍紋圍子欄杆帶抽屜大架格

The present lot is notable for the added decorative touch of the Compare with a huanghuali and wumu four-shelf bookcase in
intricately-reticulated three-sided kuilong galleries, elegant proportions the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, illustrated by R.D.Jacobsen and
and extravagant use of high-quality huanghuali wood. N.Grindley, Classical Chinese Furniture in the Minneapolis Institute
of Arts, Minneapolis, 1999, pp.142-43, no.49. See also another
Open-shelf stands (jiage) are one of the four types of cabinets with huanghuali bookcase, Ming dynasty, illustrated by Wang Shixiang,
shelves created by Chinese furniture makers, along with round- Connoisseurship of Chinese furniture, Beijing, 2007, p.142, D6, where
corner cabinets yuanjiaogui, cabinets with open shelves lianggegui the galleries are elaborately carved with cruciform-latticework.
and square-corner cabinets fangjiaogui. See Wang Shixiang,
Connoisseurship of Chinese furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, See a related huanghuali three-shelf bookcase with three-sided
Hong Kong, 1990, vol.1, pp.82 and 85. openwork galleries of repeated quadrilobed and lotus motifs and
key-fret galleries on separate shelves, 17th century, which was sold
Bookcases shuge are open-shelf stands with three-sided railing at Christie’s New York, 17 September 2015, lot 2028. Compare also
to hold the books in place and to prevent them from falling, see with a huanghuali three-shelf bookcase with three-sided openwork
Zhongguo gudian jiaju shoucang yu jianshang quanshu, vol.1, Tianjin, railing, 18th/19th century, which was sold at Sotheby’s New York, 23
2005, p.179. Bookcases were also a symbol of culture and education September 2020, lot 731.
as an important feature in any scholar’s studio. Open-shelving fulfilled
two roles, as it allowed scholars to create elegant displays of scholar’s
objects and also functioned for storage of albums and books.

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