Page 202 - Christie's, Important Chinese Works of Art, Hong Kong Dec 3 2021

3021 Continued
Although the overall shape of the present table resembles a coffer, the
flat tabletop without raised ends suggests it is a long table. Long tables
of this type with four drawers are extremely rare to find and only a few
examples are known. Wang Shixiang illustrated two examples from
the Palace Museum, Beijing, one made of tielimu and the other made
of huanghuali, in Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early
Qing Dynasties, vol. II, Hong Kong, 1990, p. 122, pl. B34 and B135. The
huanghuali table is of similar length to the present table but has a single
drawer with hidden compartments. The tielimu table has four drawers,
but is significantly smaller than the current table, and also illustrated in
The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture
of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 200, no.
170. The exceptionally long length of this table and the solid tabletop
suggests this could have been used as an altar table.
Compare the present table with another four-drawer table dated to
the Ming dynasty 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, p. 200, no. 170, which
also has a flat table top without everted ends and cabinets below the
drawers. A coffer with three drawers and shaped aprons, previously
in the collection of Dr. Frank E. and Lillian Whitacre, sold at Christie's
New York, 18-19 March 2021, lot 840.
This item is made of a type of Dalbergia wood which is subject to CITES export/
import restrictions since 2 January 2017. This item can only be shipped to
addresses within Hong Kong or collected from our Hong Kong saleroom and office
unless a CITES re-export permit is granted. Please contact the department for
further information.
四屜書案於中國古典家具形制中屬珍罕例。平頭案式，面攢框鑲二板，
如此長度極具氣派，抽屜達四具，透雕裝飾富麗堂皇，亦有可能作為供
桌。北京故宮博物院所藏抽屜書案兩張，一張為鐵力木，一張為黃花
梨木製，著錄於王世襄《明式家具研究》，香港，1990 年，卷二，頁
122，圖版 B34 及 B135。
本拍賣品由黃檀屬的木製造而成。從 2017 年 1 月 2 日起，所有由黃檀屬的木
製成的物品受 CITES 出入口管制。除非獲得 CITES 再出口許可，此拍賣品只
可運送至香港境內的地址或從我們的香港拍賣場提取。請與專家部門聯繫以
瞭解詳情。

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