Page 152 - Bonhams, The H Collection, Classical Chinese Furniture, May 13, 2021 London

The present cabinet is notable for its restrained design, minimalist 「一封書」式方角櫃，方方正正，櫃體光素，只在三面牙條上浮雕卷
decoration, elegant proportion and extravagant use of beautifully- 草紋。櫃門平鑲，兩門之間立閂桿，安葵形面葉。櫃內抽屜架安有兩
grained huanghuali. Constructed entirely from high-quality huanghuali 個抽屜，將內部空間分隔為兩層，下無櫃膛。整體線條利練，設計簡
wood, chosen for its rich golden-honey tones, the wide flat surface 約，盡顯木材自然紋理，乃明清傢俱的永恆經典。
emphasises the natural beauty of the densely-grained wood.
明清時期，家具大多依照工匠圖樣、按約定尺寸進行定制。傳世的方
The simple austere lines of these cabinets created a sense of solidity 角櫃尺寸多樣，本例頂面也使用黃花梨木製成，表明製作時沒有與
and strength resulting from a slim profile combined with the strong 之相配的頂櫃，且尺寸適中，非常適合置於文人書齋內儲物，兼器物
horizontal lines of the top and bottom members. The circular door 陳設。屜板等櫃內構件也以黃花梨木製成，毫不吝惜木料，原主人的
pivots form an elegant contrast to the square members. In addition, 審美品位和日用標準可見一斑。關於方角櫃用途的詳細陳述，參考
the cabinet has no superfluous ornamentation, except the beaded S.Handler著，《Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture》，
edge along the plain apron and spandrels towards the feet and the 柏克萊，2001年，頁241-267。
polished baitong mounts. This way, the eye is drawn to the beauty and
subtlety of the natural wood which conveys a graceful and soft feel. The 無頂櫃的「一封書」式方角櫃傳世不多。現藏於紐約大都會博物館
functional metal hinges, lock plate and pulls enhance the richness of the （館藏編號1988.350a-d）、由宮廷畫家徐揚於1770年所作之《乾隆
wood. These important decorative elements were carefully sized and 南巡圖》中，繪有一隻形制相似的無頂櫃方角櫃。另參一幅方角櫃線
spaced to complement the proportion of the cabinet. The lockplates are 稿，收錄於王世襄著，《明式家具珍賞》，卷一，香港，1990年，
persimmon-shaped, while the pulls are shaped as double fish, subtly 頁152，編號D24。
intimating auspicious wishes for abundance and wealth.
一例十七至十八世紀黃花梨方角櫃，售於紐約佳士得，2012年3月
During the Ming and Qing periods, furniture was probably selected 22-23日，拍品編號1726，可為參考。
from books of designs at the cabinetmaker’s workshop and made
to the proportions required. This would have allowed certain unique
personal preferences in stylistic choices, such as the higher beaded
oval feet in the present lot, which lend it its ‘unusual distinction’. Subtle
variations give individual character to different tapered cabinets.

The fact that the panel forming the horizontal top of the present
cabinet is also constructed from huanghuali makes it is unlikely that the
cabinet had an associated hat chest (additional storage chests holding
additional items of clothing). This cabinet was probably made for a
scholar’s studio, where it would have held painting and calligraphy,
implements or treasured artifacts. The lavish use of huanghuali to
construct all the inner members, such as shelves and drawer lines,
demonstrates an exceptional level of craftsmanship and attention to
details. For a detailed discussion about the use of cabinets in China,
see S.Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture,
Berkeley and London, 2001, pp.241-267.

Square-corner cabinets with flush-panel doors but constructed without
hat chests are rare. A similar cabinet without a hat chest is depicted
in an 18th century handscroll depicting ‘The Qianlong Emperor’s
Southern Inspection Tour’, dated to 1770, in The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York, acc.no.1988.350a-d. See also a line
drawing of a similarly-shaped cabinet, 17th/18th century, illustrated by
Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early
Qing Dynasties, vol.1, 1990, Hong Kong, p.152, D24.

A related huanghuali square-corner cabinet, 17th/18th century, was
sold at Christie’s New York, 22-23 March 2012, lot 1726.

150 | BONHAMS