Page 129 - CHRISTIE'S Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art 09/14 - 15 / 17

(kang table)

The present luohan bed and kang table are extraordinary in the rich detail found in the intertwining
lotus blossoms and leaves emerging from jagged rocks on the openwork panels and legs. The set is
distinguished by the quality of the superb carving, the luxurious use of zitan, and their massive size, and
relate directly to a group of imperial furniture carved entirely with lotus blossoms, stems and leaves. The
density of zitan makes this wood especially suitable for fne and intricate carving and when combined
with its jade-like, lustrous surface made this the preferred material for Imperial Qing dynasty furniture,
which favored elaborately carved and highly-ornamented furnishings.
An ornate zitan luohan bed and kang, also carved all over with lotus amidst rocks and water, are in the
Qing Court collection and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum -
Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 4-5, no. 2, where they are dated to the
early Qing dynasty. (Fig. 1) See, also, a zitan throne chair carved in a similar fashion, dated to the Ming
dynasty in the Qing Court collection, Beijing, and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of
the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 22, no. 11.

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