Page 146 - SOTHEBYS MARCH 18 AND 19 2025

With its harmonious proportions, elegant carving, and 此案比例勻稱，雕工雅緻，木紋生動華美，實為晚明
beautifully figured grain, the present table represents 家具珍品。翹頭案為靠牆放置而設計，可擺放於廳堂
classical Chinese furniture of the late Ming dynasty at its 或書房，陳設古玩彝器、書畫藝術等。明萬曆文震亨
peak. Such tables, known as qiaotou’an, were designed to （1585-1645）著《長物志．序》曾薦此案宜置於畫幀
be placed against the wall in prominent locations within the 之下，並建議「畫桌可置奇石，或時花盆景之屬」。
house or studio, and were often used to display precious
antiques or works of art. The Ming dynasty scholar and 此案無論形制或材質，皆為晚明藝術之臻，反映當時
artist, Wen Zhenheng (1585-1645), in his influential Zhang 如蘇州等文人聚居地之審美情趣。此案腿足微撇，平
wu zhi [Treatise on Superfluous Things], recommended 衡穩固兼且精致優雅，足間安牙子及如意紋牙板。
that such tables be placed underneath a painting and even 正、背面長牙子一木連作，兩端牙頭飾華美如意雲
suggested that “one may place such things as fantastic
rocks, seasonal flowers, or miniature tray-landscapes.” 紋。案面兩端翹頭外翻，與腿足內撇互相呼應，效果
和諧均衡。黃花梨木紋理瑰麗，尤以牙頭木紋為甚。
Both in form and in material, the present table is a
masterpiece of late Ming dynasty craftsmanship, reflecting 此案設計罕見，學者Sarah Handler於其《Outstanding
the restrained aesthetic found in artistic centers such as the Pieces in Private Rooms: Chinese Classical Furniture in
city of Suzhou. The legs are gracefully splayed at an angle New American Collections》文中詳述，談及此案於長
that provides stability and visual harmony to the overall 短邊均設框架，翹頭則直接嵌於短邊框架，如此設
form, and are joined by stretchers with ruyi-motif panels 計，有異於案面獨板或僅於較長一邊設框架之翹頭
and shaped aprons. Each of the long-side aprons beneath 案，《Orientations》，1993年１月。細觀此案，長邊
the top frame are carved from a single piece of timber, and 框架較短邊為寬，或令人懷疑乃後來改動而非原本
with ornate ruyi cloud designs at the spandrels. The outward
flare of the everted ends perfectly balances the inward splay 設計，然而Handler闡明，由於此案牙板與牙頭一木
of the legs. The rich, feathered grain of the huanghuali is 連作，各部比例精準而且木紋一致，後改之說並不
evident throughout, but perhaps nowhere more so than on 成立。
the spandrels, which would have been the most visible part 此式樣最早見於宋朝，夾頭榫、格角榫、一木連做
of the table when viewed in the domestic setting.
牙條並裝細小角牙、雙橫棖，均為特色。宋《村童
The rare design of the present table is discussed at length 鬧學圖》，畫中有兩例，圖載王世襄，，《Chinese
by Sarah Handler in ”Outstanding Pieces in Private Rooms: Furniture. Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-1999
Chinese Classical Furniture in New American Collections,” 》，香港，1999年，頁55，圖版35。更早之原型，可
Orientations, January 1993: In contrast to qiatou’an with tops 追溯至春秋時期，如湖北當陽趙巷四號墓出土之小
made from a single plank or with framing members only on
the long edges, the present table has framing members on 案，見Sarah Handler,<Side Tables, a Surface for Treasures
both the long and short sides, with the everted flanges inset and the Gods>，《Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles
directly into the tops of the short side frames. Noting that from Orientations 1984-2003》，香港，2004年，頁200
the long side frames are wider than on the short sides, which ，圖2。
many would perceive to indicate the table was reduced at
some point, Handler posits that “because the apron and
spandrels are made from one continuous piece of wood, all
the elements of the table are in perfect proportion, and the
highly figured wood is consistent throughout the piece,”
making any suggestion of reduction “impossible.”
The design of such tables is recorded as early as the
Song dynasty (960-1279), when tables with bridle and
tenon joints, a continuous apron with small spandrels, and
double stretchers at the sides were produced. Two tables
of this type are depicted on the painting Cun tong nao xue
tu [Country boys playing class], attributed to the Song
dynasty and illustrated in Wang Shixiang, ‘Development of
Furniture Design and Construction from the Song to the
Ming’, Selected Articles from Orientations, 1984-1999, Hong
Kong, 1999, p. 55, fig. 35. However, prototypes for the design
from as early as the Spring and Autumn period have been
excavated, including a small sacrificial table from Tomb 4 at
Zhaoxiang, Dangyang in Hubei Province, illustrated by Sarah
Handler in “Side Tables, a Surface for Treasures and the
Gods,” Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from Orientations
1984-2003, Hong Kong, 2004, p. 200, fig. 2.

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