Page 177 - Christie's Fine Chinese Paintings March 19 2019 Auction

PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED COLLECTOR
1678
A GILT-DECORATED BLACK LACQUER
DOUBLE-LOZENGE-FORM STAND
18TH CENTURY
The double-lozenge-form top has gilt decoration of
two large peony sprays surrounded by a decorative
border, within an outer border of riverscape scenes
enclosed within shaped cartouches reserved on
a diaper ground, all above ruyi-carved aprons and
narrow stretchers, and raised on six slender legs
terminating in hoof feet joined by a base stretcher
of conforming shape supported on low bracket
feet. The legs are decorated with gilt foral sprays.
34º in (87 cm.) high, 22Ω in. (57.1 cm.) wide,
14Ω in. (36.8 cm.) deep

$10,000-15,000

During the early Qing dynasty, there was a
fashion for gilt-decorated, black lacquer furniture.
This style of decoration can be seen in a variety
of forms, including cabinets, chairs, tables,
thrones, and incense stands. See, for example, a
gilt-decorated black-lacquered bed dated to the
Yongzheng period in the Qing Court collection,
illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures
of the Palace Museum - Furniture of the Ming
and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, pp.
8-9, no. 5, which is richly painted with pavilions
set in a river landscape. Fine gilt decoration
can often be found on unusual forms, such as
the present stand or another stand in the Qing
Court collection, constructed from two tiers of
interlocked cabriole legs, illustrated ibid., p. 177, pl.
159. The lustrous black lacquer, vibrant gilt paint,
and elaborate shape created a sumptuous efect
that implied richness and delicacy. Small, refned
forms such as the present stand can be seen in
Qing-dynasty interiors, most famously in a series
of paintings entitled “Twelve Beauties in the
Yuanmingyuan,” dating to the Yongzheng period,
and currently in the Palace Museum, Beijing. For
a discussion of interior furnishings as seen in this
series, see Tian Jiaqing, “Early Qing Furniture in
a Set of Qing Dynasty Court Paintings,” Chinese
Furniture Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-
2003, Hong Kong, 2004, pp. 153-61.
清十八世紀 黑漆描金方勝式香几

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