Page 234 - Christie's Asia Week March 2024 Chinese Art

Property from an American Family Collection
both the carver’s expert skill and the beauty of this material. Zitan was
1123 one of the favored materials in the high Qing period. The density of
A LARGE AND MAGNIFICENT IMPERIAL CARVED the wood makes this material especially suitable for fine and intricate
ZITAN MIRROR STAND carving and when combined with its jade-like, lustrous surface created
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795) lavish and sumptuous interior spaces.
36º in. (92.1 cm.) high, 32q in.(82.6 cm.) wide, 19º in. (48.9 cm) deep The mirror or dressing stand consists of five interlocking, stepped and
$80,000-120,000 finely carved panels, the top rails each terminating in a dragon-head
terminal. A mirror set atop a removable stand would have sat on the
PROVENANCE: central platform above the drawers. Mirror or dressing stands, such
Frank Finnell (1888-1967) and Marie Hinman (1894-1980) Collection, acquired
before 1939, and thence by descent within the family. as the present example, would have been an essential accessory for a
lady’s bed chamber.
Massive in size and richly carved with dynamic five-clawed dragons Frank Finnell arrived in Beijing in 1920 to work as the Purser for the
against a dense landscape of swirling clouds, the present mirror stand U.S. Delegation to China. In 1924, he started the Baltimore Clipper
would have added richness and texture to a majestic interior space. This Importing Company. Marie Hinman (1894-1980) traveled to Japan in
magnificent mirror stand is distinguished by its imposing size, the high- 1922, working as a stenographer. She was evacuated to Beijing following
quality zitan, and its dynamic and precise carving. Measuring over 92 the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, where she met Frank, and they
cm. high, the present mirror stand is larger than the huanghuali mirror married in 1927. The Finnells returned to the US after the breakout of
stand carved with dragon and phoenix in the Palace Museum, Beijing World War II and settled in Berkeley, California.
and illustrated in The Palace Museum Collection, A Treasury of Ming
& Qing Palace Furniture-54-Beijing, 2007, p. 251-252, pl. 202-203. The 美४家族珍藏
exceptional quality of the zitan, both in its deep color and the tightness 清̖隆 御製紫檀雕龍紋૯鏡臺
of its grain, suggest the carpenter most likely had access to the Imperial Ϝ源
supply of zitan. The detailed and refined carving, seen in the animated Frank Finnell 1888 1967
暨 Marie Hinman 1894 1980
珍藏, Ն藏於1939年,
posturing of the dragons and the delicate openwork carving, highlights 後於家族ҷ承