Page 64 - 2020 December 1 Bonhams Hong Kong, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of art

136
A LARGE ZITAN TABLE CABINET,
GUANPIXIANG
Mid Qing Dynasty
Of rectangular form embellished with metal
mounts at the corners, the hinged flat-top
cover opening to reveal a separate upper
compartment, above a pair of well-figured
doors concealing four short and one long
drawers, the cover set with a chain to hold
the lid in place when open, applied across the
front cover and doors with a circular metal
plate with lock receptacles and a ruyi-shaped
clasp, above a pair of rectangular plates and
pulls, all supported on a slightly larger base
with a cusped lower edge to the front, the
cabinet flanked by a pair of bail handles, the
well-grained wood of a rich dark tone.
35cm (13 3/4in) high x 34.5cm (13 1/2in) wide
x 25cm (10in) deep.
HKD150,000 - 200,000
US$19,000 - 26,000

清中期 紫檀官皮箱

Provenance:
A Hong Kong private collection

Table cabinets of this type are also referred to
as seal chests. They were used as dressing
cases by both men and women to store
135 toiletries, jewellery, and other valuables. They
were also used on scholars’ desks for the
storage of stationery, writing implements and
personal seals. It is rare to find table cabinets
135 TP of large size made of zitan wood such as the
present lot. See a similar example illustrated in
A JICHIMU HORSESHOE-BACK Provenance: In Pursuit of Antiquities: Thirty-fifth Anniversary
Chan Shing Kee, Hong Kong
ARMCHAIR, QUANYI Exhibition of the Min Chiu Society, Hong Kong,
18th century A Hong Kong private collection, acquired from 1995, p.298. See also a zitan canted-top
The curving crestrail sloping down to the arms the above on 17 December 2011 table cabinet, late Ming to early Qing dynasty,
supported by two straight back-posts and of similar size from the Dr S.Y.Yip collection,
S-shaped front and back-posts with a shaped 來源： illustrated by G.Wu Bruce, Zitan Furniture from
spandrel beneath each out-scrolled and 陳勝記，香港 the Ming and Qing dynasties, Hong Kong,
rounded terminal, the gently-curved backsplat 香港私人收藏，於2011年12月17日由以上 1999, pp.52-53, which was later sold at
carved in relief with stylised confronted chilong 購得 Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 5 April 2017, lot 3512.
centred by a shou character enclosed within
a ruyi-shaped medallion, all supported by the The present lot is rare in being made of 紫檀為材，箱盝頂，頂面四角包白銅，箱頂
rectangular seat frame securing soft cane jichimu, but horseshoe-back armchairs of 部開子母扣與蓋合，門開兩扇，門框悶榫拍
matting, the beaded apron butted and half- this form in huanghuali are represented in 合，扇心獨板，門扇兩側安銅活頁，蓋緣與
lapped to the front rails and footrest, with foot many public and private collections. For a 門扇安如意鎖頭，箱内三層五屜，屜們安鏤
stretchers of ascending heights. discussion of this design, see R.H.Ellsworth, 空雲頭紋銅活，箱兩側安白銅提環，左側有
98cm (38 9/16in) high x 59cm (23 1/4in) wide Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of 銅鏈，防止蓋身傾覆，箱底正面牙條成壼門
x 47cm (18 1/2in) deep. the Ming and Early Ch’ing Dynasty, New 曲邊，箱上下四角皆包銅。官皮箱顧名思
York, 1971, pp.86-87, and Wang Shixiang,
HKD60,000 - 80,000 Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming 義即是官家所用皮箱，最早可追溯到宋代鏡
箱，《魯班經匠家鏡》一條提到鏡箱，描述
US$7,700 - 10,000 and Early Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1990, 亦似官皮箱。明代多為皮質，頂部隆起，防
pp.43-45. 塵防水，後演變成木質，隆頂演變成盝頂。
十八世紀 雞翅木圈椅 然而官皮箱傳世頗多，可知已經飛入尋常百
雞翅木為材，通體光素，椅盤之上圓材，其下 姓家。此件紫檀官皮箱，用料皆為獨材，無
外圓裏方，圈椅三接，圓中略扁，靠板略成S 拼接，發色身紫，沉鬱内斂。可參考一件相
形，上部鏟地開光浮雕螭龍壽字紋，兩側扶 似之紫檀官皮箱，見《好古敏求：敏求精
手正下方安聯幫棍，扶手出頭，與鵝脖間安 舍三十五週年紀念展》，香港，1995年，
小牙角，椅盤格角榫攢邊，内安藤編軟屜，木 頁298。葉承耀醫生曾藏一件明末清初紫檀
線壓腳，軟屜之下支兩穿帶，椅盤下安三面 蕩頂官皮箱，與本件頗似，後售於香港蘇富
洼堂肚券口牙子。 比，2017年4月5日，拍品編號3512。
62 | BONHAMS