Page 204 - Christies March 16, 2017 The Varata Collection NYC

664 清十八世紀 鐵梨木有翹頭條几

A RARE TIELIMU ALTAR TABLE 來源
MD Flacks (UK) Ltd, 倫敦
18TH CENTURY 瑪麗·泰瑞莎·L·維勒泰 (1923-2015) 珍藏
The thick single-panel is set with everted ends above a fnely beaded plain apron,
and is raised on sturdy beaded legs of square section terminating in hoof feet. 此清十八世紀鐵梨木供桌在形式與結構上與幾例黃花梨供桌一致。Gangolf
Geis 故藏一黃花梨供桌，於紐約佳士得拍出，2003年9月18日，拍品44號，是
36 in. (91.4 cm.) high, 90º in. (229.2 cm.) wide, 20æ in. (52.7 cm.) deep 與本拍品在比例及造型上最近似之例。兩桌之腿及束腰均渾厚有力，但Geis氏
故藏帶霸王棖，其翹頭展幅較大。可參考一件黃花梨有翹頭條几，獨板，腿用方
$40,000-60,000 材，上斂下收，於紐約佳士得古典中國家具博物館故藏拍賣，1996年9月19日，
拍品編號22（圖1）。 另一例為退一步齋藏黃花梨供桌，見柯惕思《風華再現 :
PROVENANCE 明清家具特展》，1999年，144頁，其足亦雄厚凝重，但在造型上較本拍品柔
和。亦可參考另一黃花梨例，惟足稍高，腿較外撇，現藏明尼阿波利斯美術館，
MD Flacks (UK) Ltd., London. 見《明尼阿波利斯美術館藏中國古典家具》（Classical Chinese Furniture in
The Marie Theresa L. Virata (1923-2015) Collection. the Minneapolis Institute of Arts），芝加哥，1999年，編號39，其棕角榫與
一般三角齊尖之做法不同，其一角略高延伸至桌面一角，使結構更加穩固。
The present tielimu example, dated to the 18th century, is identical in form and
construction to several tables of related form found in huanghuali. A huanghuali
table formerly from the Gangolf Geis collection, sold at Christies, New York, 18
September 2003, lot 44 is the most similar in its proportion and design to the
present tieli example. Both examples display similar powerful, thick leg and waist,
but the Geis example is distinguished by ‘giant arm’s’ braces and more everted end
fanges. See a huanghuali narrow table, constructed with a solid huanghuali plank
and slender, tapered square-section legs sold at Christie’s New York, Important
Chinese Furniture Formerly the Collection of Classical Chinese Furniture, 19
September 1996, lot 22 (fg. 1). Another huanghuali example, illustrated in Curtis
Evarts, Splendor of Style: Classical Furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties,
1999, p. 144, from the Take One Step Back Studio Collection, has the same weighty
leg and strong foot but with a slightly lighter design as the present table. See, also,
a huanghuali example with a higher foot and more tapered leg than the present
example, in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, illustrated by Robert Jacobsen and
Nicholas Grindley, Classical Chinese Furniture in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts,
Chicago, 1999, no. 39, has a distinct structural variant seen in the mitred joint at the
top of the leg that extends at an angle to the top corner of the solid top, giving extra
strength to the corner joint.

Fig. 1. A huanghuali altar table
（圖1）黃花梨有翹頭條几

200 THE MARIE THERESA L. V I R ATA C O L L E C T I O N OF ASIAN ART: A FAMILY LEGACY