Page 174 - Bonhams, The H Collection, Classical Chinese Furniture, May 13, 2021 London

49 TP Y
A FINE PAIR OF HUANGHUALI RECTANGULAR WAISTED
CORNER-LEG STOOLS, FANGDENG
17th/18th century
Both stools with a soft-mat seat set within the rectangular frame, above
a short plain waist and plain apron, the whole raised on legs of square
section joined by humpback stretchers and terminating in hoof feet.
60cm (23 2/8in) wide x 59cm (23 1/2in) deep x 52cm (20 1/2in) high. (2).

£40,000 - 60,000
CNY360,000 - 540,000

十七/十八世紀 黃花梨有束腰羅鍋棖方凳成對

Provenance:
Peter Lai Antiques Ltd. (label)
An important European private collection

來源：
香港古董商黎氏古玩（標籤）荘
歐洲重要私人收藏

Fashioned from thick members of light-coloured huanghuali, stools 方材，攢框裝軟屜，冰盤沿上舒下斂，至底壓一道窄平線，簡潔利
such as the present lot were highly prized during the Ming and Qing 落。有束腰，羅鍋棖。四足下端略向內兜轉，馬蹄內翻有力。
dynasties for their linear design and elegant simplicity.
杌凳在中國歷史悠久。考古發現表明東周就出現了此類坐具；公元四
Stools have a long history in China, and archaeological evidence has 至五世紀的佛教石窟壁畫和七至十世紀繪畫作品中，也可見杌凳供神
shown that they were used from as early as the Eastern Zhou period 明及地位較高的社會成員使用的情形。宋代之後，椅子已非常普遍，
(770-221 BC). In later times, the versatile function of stools enabled 但杌凳仍因其輕便小巧、使用舒適而廣為用於室內外各類場合。傳
them to serve as seats for Buddhist deities, as seen in frescoes 為馬遠所作之《春遊賦詩圖》中，文人逸士在溪林邊雅集賦詩，一
decorating Buddhist caves dating to the 4th and 5th century, as well 人執筆書於案上，身後即設一隻鑲席面的大方杌凳。有關杌凳的詳
as serving high-ranking members of society, visible in 7th to 10th 細演化，參S.Handler著，《Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical
century paintings. Furniture》，柏克萊，2001年，頁82-102頁，及王世襄著，《明式家
具研究》，卷一，香港，1990年，頁27-33。
Although chairs had become common by the Song dynasty, stools
remained in widespread use. Because of their relatively small size, 參考一例十七世紀黃花梨杌凳，見王世襄著，《明式家具研究》，
stools could be easily moved between the halls of a courtyard house, 卷二，香港，2016年，頁19，編號A3。另見一對明晚期至清早期黃
or carried outdoors during scholarly gatherings to serve as seats or 花梨杌凳，售於香港佳士得，2012年11月28日，拍品編號2007。
low tables. See, for instance, the large square stool set with a mat
seat, depicted in ‘Composing Poetry on a Spring Outing’, a 12th/13th
century painting attributed to Ma Yuan (active before 1189-after 1225).

For a discussion about the evolution of stools in China, see S.Handler,
Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley and
London, 2001, pp.82-102；see also Wang Shixang, Connoisseurship
of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Vol.1, Hong
Kong, 1990, pp.27-33.

A similar huanghuali rectangular corner-leg stool, 17th century, is
illustrated by Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture,
vol.2, Hong Kong, 2016, p.19, no.A3 and vol.1, pp.27-31. A pair of
similar huanghuali stools, late Ming/early Qing dynasty, was sold at
Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2007.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
172 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.