Page 284 - Important Chinese Art Sothebys March 2019

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propertY From a north amerICan prIVate Cabinets of this size and form are generally an apothecary cabinet with twenty-eight
CoLLeCtIon described as traveling bookcases if the interior drawers, formerly from the Jingguantang
A ‘HUANGHUALI’ SQUARE-CORNER contains shelves, and as apothecary chests if Collection, sold at Christie’s new York, 21st
APOTHECARY CABINET (YAOXIANG) there are numerous drawers, as in the present september 2004, another of the same form
example. the large size and luxurious hardwood
but slightly smaller and with thirteen drawers
17TH / 18TH CENTURY render these forms quite heavy and not easy from the collection of robert hatfield ellsworth
to move, and thus they are often described as sold in these rooms 30th march 2006, lot 118. a
of tall rectangular form, with a pair of doors
comprised of a single board and two-board table cabinets. In fact the drawers could have bookcase of similar form, from the collection of
flush, tongue and grooved, floating panels been used to store a variety of things from mr. and mrs. robert piccus, sold at Christie’s,
of standard mitered, mortise and tenon treasured scholarly objects to cosmetics and new York, 18th september 1997, lot 75.
construction, the top panels, the sideboards accessories. see a similar example illustrated ◉ $ 50,000-70,000
of one panel, and backboard panels tongue by Wang shixiang, Classic Chinese Furniture:
and grooved, the interior enclosing sixteen Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, hong Kong,
drawers centered by a rectangular two-door 1986, pl. 159. another example of smaller size 十七 / 十八世紀 黃花梨藥箱
niche, the drawers of softwood with huanghuali is illustrated in Grace Wu, The Best of the Best,
fronts, paktong bail handles, mounts at the top The MQJ Collection of Ming Furniture, vol. 2.,
corners, flush-mounted hinges and rectangular hong Kong, 2017, pp. 334-5. see also a related
lock plate with two pull handles and locking pin, cabinet, a traveling bookcase with side posts
all supported on a conforming molded base (2) and top rail, in the minneapolis museum of art,
height 29 in., 73.7 cm; Width 27¼ in., 69.2 cm; illustrated in robert D. Jacobsen with nicholas
Depth 12⅛ in., 30.8 cm Grindley, Classical Chinese Furniture in the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts, minneapolis, 1999,
pl. 70.

282 SOTHEBY’S Important ChInese art