Page 130 - Nov 29 2017 HK Important Chinese Ceramics

PROPERTY FROM THE RAYMOND HUNG COLLECTION
~ 2951
A FINE LARGE PAIR OF HUANGHUALI ROUND- 清十七 / 十八世紀 黃花梨圓角櫃一對
CORNER TAPERED CABINETS, YUANJIAOGUI
QING DYNASTY, 17TH-18TH CENTURY 著錄
安思遠，尼古拉斯．葛瑞德雷，柯安霓合著，《洪氏所藏木
Each well-proportioned cabinet is constructed with a rounded,
protruding, rectangular, double-cushion moulded top supported 器百圖》，上冊，紐約，1996 年，頁 190-191，編號 74
on slightly splayed corner posts of conforming shape. The figured 此對圓角櫃充份展現明代傢具的簡練沉穆，得以成對流傳，實為罕見。
floating-panel doors are contained within rounded moulded 其通體光素，比例勻稱，而上窄下寬的櫃形，更是明清通用的式樣。
frames and fitted with shaped lockplates and pulls. The doors open
from the removable centre stile to reveal two drawers, all above the 本品最特別之處在於此對圓角櫃的四扇門板皆取自同一木料，而木紋更
moulded aprons and spandrels which curve upwards into unusual 是對稱相抵，此亦足見匠人獨具匠心之處。現存例件如本品般之尺寸及
half-cloud-shaped terminals. 門板上的木紋搭配設計依舊罕見。此對木櫃還在木框內部分別有「一」
69 æ in. (177.2 cm.) high, 36 Ω in. (92.7 cm.) wide, 及「四」的記號，證明其原屬四件大櫃的部件之一。
19 Ω in. (49.5 cm.) deep (each) (2) 相較於此對圓角櫃，另可參考一對尺寸略高（高 184 公分）的圓角櫃，
HK$9,000,000-12,000,000 US$1,200,000-1,500,000 其刊載於王世襄與柯惕思的《Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical
Chinese Furniture》，芝加哥，1995 年，頁 130-31，編號 61，後又見
LITERATURE 於紐約佳士得，1996 年 9 月 19 日，拍品 19 號。
R. Hatfield Ellsworth, N. Grindley and Anita Christy, Chinese
Furniture: One Hundred Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung
Collection, vol. 1, New York, 1996, pp. 190-191, no. 74
The form of the current pair of cabinets stands out as a truly exquisite
example of its type, all the rarer for being a pair. The simplicity and
elegance of form of these cabinets is in the classical Ming style. The
very subtle splay in its design lends a sense of stability and balance to
the form while retaining a very graceful and pleasing profile. The form
was widely used in cabinet making throughout the Ming and Qing
dynasties.
Of special note on the present cabinets is the choice of wood used for
the floating panels on the doors. The distinctive figuration on the four
broad, single panels indicates that they were cut from the same piece
of timber, and the energetic movement of the grain suggests it may
have incorporated a large burl. The panels are fitted with the grain set
at opposing mirror image, thus giving a sense of drama and motion
to the cabinets. The careful matching of the door suggests that the
cabinetmaker intentionally designed the cabinets to feature the natural
markings of the wood and had a sensitivity for materials. It is rare to
find cabinets of this large size with such deliberate and careful use of
the natural markings in the wood.
Numeric markings on the inner frame of the cabinets, reading one ( 一 )
on one cabinet and four ( 四 ) on the other, suggest that the cabinets
were originally part of a larger set of four cabinets.
A slightly larger pair of cabinets (184 cm. high) is illustrated by Wang
Shixiang and Curtis Evarts, Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical
Chinese Furniture, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, pp. 130-31, no. 61,
and was later sold at Christie’s, New York, 19 September 1996, lot 19.
This pair was of very similar construction to the present pair from the
Hung Collection, the aprons are left undecorated, the posts and frame
members are square with no moulding.

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