Page 278 - Bonhams May 11th 2017 London Fine Chinese Art

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY 女士藏品
Lots 352 - 354

352 TP Y
A LARGE HUANGHUALI ‘DRAGON’ CABINET
Late Qing Dynasty
The cabinet with two doors finely carved in mirror image with two
snarling five-clawed dragons rising from rockwork and foaming
waves amidst scrolling clouds, all above a rectangular panel with two
confronted dragons pursuing a flaming pearl, above a similarly carved
apron between the straight front legs, the side panels and side aprons
undecorated, the interior with two shelves and two drawers, with an
associated metal lock.
197.5cm (77 6/8in) high x 177cm (69 6/8in) wide x
70.5cm (27 6/8in) deep (2).

£20,000 - 30,000
CNY170,000 - 260,000

清末 黃花梨雙龍戲珠紋箱櫃

Provenance: a Scottish private collection

來源： 蘇格蘭私人收藏

Cabinets intricately carved with writhing five-clawed dragons and
made of huanghuali graced the interiors of Imperial halls and high
ranking officials. Compare related cabinets of similar form and related
carving, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the
Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Vol.2,
Hong Kong, 2002, nos.205, 206, 209 and 211.

The inscription engraved on the associated metal lock, ‘Passing the
exams as a Zhuangyuan’ (Zhuangyuan jidi 狀元及第), encapsulated the
greatest respect for education and the desire of every literati in Imperial
China to pass the civil service exams and become the Zhuangyuan or
top scorer. The Zhuangyuan would have gained immediate entry into
high officialdom as well as winning instant glory for himself, his family,
town, and even province.

(lock) For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
270 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.