Page 152 - Important Chinese Art, Sotheby's London May 15 2019

153

PROPERTY FROM AN ENGLISH PRIVATE COLLECTION
A RARE HUANGHUALI ALTAR TABLE,
QIAOTOUAN
QING DYNASTY, EARLY 18TH CENTURY
the panelled rectangular top terminating in everted flanges,
above a plain beaded apron carved and pierced with ruyi
scrolls atop each leg, the square section legs secured by
two cross braces joined by a quatrefoil brace, all above a
stretcher at the base
95.5 by 201 by 45 cm, 37⅜ by 79¼ by 17¾ in.
PROVENANCE
Purchased from MD Flacks Ltd., 1999.
◉ W £ 80,000-120,000
HK$ 825,000-1,240,000 US$ 105,000-158,000
清十八世紀初 黃花梨如意紋翹頭案

來源
於1999年購自MD Flacks Ltd.

Fashioned from huanghuali boards of a warm brown tone
and with a lively grain pattern, this table is remarkable for
the elegant carved panels between the legs and the delicate
and fluid rendering of the ruyi spandrels, accentuated by the
finely beaded borders. Its construction is particularly unusual
and exemplifies the variety of regional styles that developed
in the late Ming (1368-1644) and early Qing (1644-1911)
dynasties. The sturdy square-section legs are joined to the
large spandrels and apron by a dovetail wedge, and therefore
appear flush with the spandrels. This type of joinery is com-
monly associated with Fujian province, where the establish-
ment of a discerning and wealthy merchant class resulted in
the development of a distinctive furniture tradition.
A huanghuali table of this type, but lacking the apron and the
spandrel carved with a geometric design, was included in the
exhibition Chinese Art from the Scholar’s Studio, J.J. Lally &
Co. New York, 2015, cat. no. 71; and two tables attributed to
the late Qing dynasty, illustrated in John Kwang-ming Ang,
Longyan Wood Furniture, Arts of Asia, vol. 34 no. 5 (October
2005), pls 19 and 20, were sold in our New York rooms, the
st
nd
first made of longyan wood, 1 /2 December 1992, lot 547,
rd
th
and the second made of zitan, 23 /24 March 1998, lot 752.
See also a huanghuali table with the legs similarly joined to
the spandrels, but with scroll ends and carved with chilong,
in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Furniture of
the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 146.
Compare also a longyan display cabinet attributed to the late
Qing dynasty, carved on the sides with braces joined to form
a quatrefoil shape similar to those on the sides of the legs of
the present table from the San Xing Tang collection, illustrat-
ed in John Kwang-ming Ang, op. cit., pls 40a and 40b.

150 Buyers are liable to pay both the hammer price (as estimated above) and the buyer’s premium together with any applicable taxes and Artist’s Resale Right (which will depend on the individual circumstanc-
es). Refer to the Buying at Auction and VAT sections at the back of this catalogue for further information.