Page 62 - Classical Chinese Furniture from Heveningham Hall may 28 2021 hk.pdf

fig. 1
圖一

2815 Continued

In contrast to the day-bed, ta such as lot 2803, or couch-bed, 架子床分六柱和四柱（拍品編號 2823），於明清版畫上可見圍以簾幕，
luohanchuang, which were often found in men’s scholars studios or 分隔出一個完全私密的空間。門圍子上似花形的四朵如意雲紋，成四簇
bedrooms, the canopy bed was generally associated with the female
setting. The canopy bed would have been the most important part of 紋，又稱四合如意，吉祥和瑞，雅致美觀，同時亦巧妙運用昂貴材料黃
a woman’s dowry when she wed, as most important function in the 花梨，匠心獨運，足見中國古典家具的巧思。
female setting was for the conception of children, particularly sons. The
form of the canopy bed subtly mirrors traditional Chinese architecture, 雖然同為臥具，榻（拍品編號 2803）及羅漢床多為文人仕紳之用；而六
many of the complex joins found in Chinese furniture are derived from 柱架子床有可能為仕女陪嫁之禮，祝願早生貴子。架子床的結構亦與大
architectural carpentry techniques. When viewed from the front, the 木作建築息息相關，床柱的分佈設計一如建築中最重要的中流砥柱。
basic form of the six-post canopy bed emulates the appearance of a
traditional three-bay building, with the posts standing in for columns 本拍品的華麗設計與豐富雕刻，應與其他同類型架子床來自北方同一地
and the latticework railings echoing openwork balustrades. 區，以用材大方，富麗堂皇見稱。兩張做工相近但紋飾迥異的黃花梨六
The form of the canopy bed subtly mirrors traditional Chinese 柱架子床，分別藏於北京故宮博物館及西安大清真寺。美國加州古典家
architecture, and likely developed from the application of the same 具博物館舊藏一張飾麒麟門圍子螭龍壽字紋的架子床，拍賣於紐約佳士
set of skills; many of the complex joins found in Chinese furniture are 得，1996 年 9 月 19 日，拍品編號 62；後拍賣於香港蘇富比，2020 年
derived from architectural carpentry techniques. When viewed from the 10 月 9 日，拍品編號 53，成交價 $23,165,000（圖一）。
front, the basic form of the six-post canopy bed in particular emulates
the appearance of a traditional three-bay building, with the posts
standing in for columns and the latticework railings echoing openwork
balustrades. As such, the bed was in essence a room within a room,
allowing for privacy when needed and serving as a social hub during
the day.
The present bed is exquisitely carved and sumptuously designed, which
belongs to a group of canopy beds that were probably produced in the
same workshop in northern China, tailor-made to specific commissions.
Comparable examples that share many common features with the
present bed include a huanghuali bed in the collection of Beijing Palace
Museum, and another huanghuali bed in The Great Mosque in Xi’an. A
closely related example with qilin, chilong and shou motifs previously
in the collection of Classical Chinese Furniture Museum, was sold
in Christie’s New York, 19 September 1996, lot 62, and later sold at
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 9 October 2020, lot 53 for HK$23,165,000 (fig. 1).

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