Page 51 - Sotheby's Asia Week March 2024 Chinee Art

The present imposing pair of cabinets conveys the Chinese garments, never hung, were carefully folded into 此對櫃用體現主人品味非凡， 使用如此奢華木材， 織品和其他貴重物品。據《金瓶梅》述，婦人所穿貂
sophistication of the owner as well as the skills of a master flat rectangles, and stacked in cabinets protected from 並聘名匠製作家具，想必為大富人家。 櫃呈矩形， 皮大襖放於帶鎖大櫥裡。頂箱位置存取物件不易，
cabinet maker. The towering rectangular forms are sunlight, moisture, insects, and other factors that might 與水平牙條曲綫巧妙相對， 牙條巧雕雙龍、中心雕 故宜儲放不常用之物。
ingeniously offset by the shaped horizontal aprons, each damage costly silks and furs. The large size of these cabinets 抽象壽字紋，匠心盡顯。櫥櫃尺寸碩大，觀此櫃者無
deftly carved with a lively pair of confronting chilong provided ample space for treasured textiles and other 不嘆爲觀止，令人不禁遙想櫃中所藏珍品。 倫敦維多利亞和阿爾伯特博物館珍藏一對相近作
centered by a stylized shou character. The formidable size of valued items for both daily, seasonal, and occasional use. 例，牙條造型雕刻紋飾優美，唯正面共四櫃門，由
the cabinets undoubtedly would have impressed visitors, Ming dynasty novel Jin Ping Mei [Plum in the Golden Vase], 縱覽明清木櫃，當數頂箱櫃最為敦碩，多數成對製 黃花梨木製成，斷代明朝（藏品號 FE.73.1983）。
who could only speculate about the fabulous treasures reveals that lady’s fur coats were kept in large cabinets 作。方角大櫃上設較小頂箱，實用耐久，簡雅素麗， 另比兩對例，一對，牙條造型優美，未施雕飾，另
contained within them. (da chu) that could be locked. The upper chests, less 堪稱中式家具儀範。 頂箱櫃或置於內廳，或立於閨 一對，樟木造，牙條雕菊花，原中國古典家具博物
accessible would have been ideal for longer-term storage.
These massive cabinets, often produced in pairs, are 房，尺寸醒目，輪廓挺拔，引人油然嘆羨。《紅樓 館所藏，加利福尼亞，見 Sarah Handler，
the largest type of furniture produced by Ming and Qing The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a similar 夢》中，村嫗劉姥姥入大觀園，生平頭一回見到賈府 《Proportion and Joinery in Four-part Wardrobes》，刊
cabinet makers. Composed of a tall, square-corner, two- large pair of compound cabinets with shaped and carved 家具，只道：「人人都說大家子住大房，昨兒見了老 於《Chinese Furniture. Selected Articles from
door cabinet with a smaller, similarly formed chest fitted aprons, but with four-panel fronts and of huanghuali, 太太正房，配上大箱、大櫃、大桌子、大床，果然威 Orientations 1984-1999》， 香港，1999年，頁
on top, sijiangui emblemizes the functionality, durability, attributed to the Ming dynasty (accession no FE.73.1983). 武。那櫃子比我們一間房子還大還高。」 36-37，圖版1及2；香港蘇富比曾售兩例，黃花梨木
elegance, and simplicity characteristic to classical Chinese Compare also two pairs of compound cabinets, one with
furniture. Displayed in inner reception halls or kept in the shaped but plain aprons and the second made of camphor 中式衣物不興懸掛，而是折疊平整後放入櫃中，避免 造，其一售於 2020年10月9日，編號 88 ， 另一單櫃
women’s private quarters, their sheer size and angular wood and the apron carved with chrysanthemums, formerly 陽光、濕氣、昆蟲等損毀珍貴絲綢皮革。此類櫃尺寸 作例售於 2015年10月7日，編號122。另可參考紐約
silhouette were designed to impress. In a passage from in the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture in California, 龐大，足夠空間存放日常、季節性及偶爾使用之珍貴 蘇富比出售兩對例，一對牙條無紋飾， 售於 2016
the 18th century novel Honglou meng [The Dream of the illustrated in Sarah Handler, ‘Proportion and Joinery in Four- 年 3 月 15 日，編號 42，一對牙條雕紋飾，連底
Red Chamber], Granny Liu, an elderly country woman part Wardrobes’, Chinese Furniture. Selected Articles from 座，2009 年 9 月 16 日，編號 10。
describing her first impression of the furniture in the Jia Orientations 1984-1999, Hong Kong, 1999, pp 36-7, pls 1 and
family compound enthuses, ‘They say that ‘great families 2. Two similar huanghuali examples were sold in our Hong
live in great houses’ and truly when I first went into Your Kong rooms, 9th October 2020, lot 88 and a single cabinet
Ladyship’s apartment yesterday and saw those great with a shaped apron, 7th October 2015, lot 122. See also two
chests and cupboards and tables and beds, they took my pairs sold in these rooms, a pair with plain aprons, 15th
breath away. That great wardrobe of yours is higher and March 2016, lot 42 and a pair with carved aprons and
wider than one of our rooms back home’. stands, 16th September 2009, lot 10.

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