Page 176 - Sotheby's Fine Chinese Art November, 2018 Hong Kong.

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PROPERTY FROM AN AUSTRALIAN PRIVATE Lionel Phillips (1924-91) was an Australian
COLLECTION 十七世紀 黃花梨鑲癭木平頭案
diplomat in China from the mid 1940s to early
A HUANGHUALI AND BURLWOOD 1950s. He was attached to the Australian 來源：
RECESSED-LEG TABLE, Legation in Chongqing from 1943, which later 傳 Lionel Phillips（1924-91年）收藏，澳洲
PINGTOUAN relocated to Nanjing in 1946. Phillips moved to Ansett Wridgways，坎培拉，1991年5月18日
17TH CENTURY Beijing in 1949 and remained there until around
1952. During his time in China, Phillips became 此類條案造型極簡，屬中式家具功用最豐、受
with a single flush floating panel of well-figured acquainted with various government officials and 眾最廣之制式，歷代風靡，經久不絕。因形
burlwood set within a mitred frame of standard diplomats, including Zhou Enlai. The current lot
construction, above plain straight aprons with was brought back to Australia with him in 1952. 似漢字「一」之孑然一筆，此式素稱「一字首
rounded spandrels, the recessed legs of circular 式」，脫胎自漢代以降之木造結構。其形清雅
section secured by parallel cross-braces of oval Tables of this minimalist form represent one of 素淨，便於挪移，常作供案、書台及半桌等
section, the underside with three supporting the most versatile and popular designs in Chinese 用，明清兩朝有刊印可考。
transverse stretchers furniture, as evident in their constant popularity
78 by 106 by 48 cm, 30¾ by 41¾ by 18⅞ in. through the generations. Historically referred to
as ‘character one’ table (yi zi shou shi), as the 此條案巧用兩種木材，別具雅趣。案面癭木色
PROVENANCE single horizontal stroke of the Chinese character 澤沉厚，與框、腿、腰及牙頭之琥珀色黃花梨
Collection of Lionel Phillips (1924-91), Australia, for the numeral ‘one’ bears resemblance to this 相映成趣。黃花梨桌案案面鑲以各式木材乃明
by repute. linear form, this design appears to have derived 清常制，如鑲烏木者，可比清宮舊藏一例，現
Ansett Wridgways, Canberra, 18th May 1991. from standard wood building construction in use
since the Han dynasty. Their light and simple 仍貯北京，載於《故宮博物院藏明清宮廷家具
◉ HK$ 500,000-700,000 form meant they could be easily moved from one 大觀》，北京，2007年，卷1，圖版284；另
US$ 64,000-89,500 location to another, as revealed in Ming and Qing 比一例，案面鑲以樺木，見展覽圖錄《攻玉山
prints where they are depicted used as altars, 房藏明式黃花梨家具：楮檀室夢旅》，香港中
painting tables and also side tables.
文大學文物館，香港，1991年，編號22，後
The piece is particularly attractive for its clever 售於香港蘇富比2015年10月7日，編號130。
use of two different types of wood. The darker
burls of the top create an attractive contrast 相類桌案大小不一，此案為較小者中之典範，
to the honey-coloured huanghuali of the frame,
legs, waist and spandrels. A common practice in 靈巧可攜，極為便宜。制式雷同、尺寸相當者
the Ming and Qing dynasties, huanghuali tables 可比一例，錄於王世襄，《明式家具珍賞》，
of this form are known inset with table tops of 香港，1990年，圖版B81；另一例，原為 La
various types of woods, such as one with an Rue Robbins Lutkins 雅蓄，售於紐約蘇富比
ebony top, from the Qing Court collection and 2012年3月20日，編號123。
still in Beijing, illustrated in A Treasury of Ming &
Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture, Beijing, 2007, vol.
1, pl. 284; another with a huamu top, included in
the exhibition Dreams of Chu Tan Chamber and
the Romance with Huanghuali Wood: The Dr S.Y.
Yip Collection of Classical Chinese Furniture, Art
Museum, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong
Kong, 1991, cat. no. 22, and sold in these rooms,
7th October 2015, lot 130.

Tables of this type were produced in varying
sizes, the present example exemplifying a type
of smaller dimensions, readily portable and
extremely useful. A table of this design and
similar size is illustrated in Wang Shixiang,
Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, Hong Kong,
1990, pl. B81; another from the collection of La
Rue Robbins Lutkins was sold in our New York
rooms, 20th March 2012, lot 123.

174 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比