Page 35 - Sotheby's Imperial Chiense Porcelain Nov 4 2020 London

172
A RARE GILT-DECORATED AND PAINTED BLACK 清雍正 黑漆描金山水樓閣圖條案
LACQUER TABLE
QING DYNASTY, YONGZHENG PERIOD
the rectangular top gilt and highlighted in red lacquer with
an idyllic landscape scene, including pavilions set amongst
mountains and pine trees, over a recessed waist pierced with
oblong panels interspersed with ferocious five-clawed dragons
striding amidst clouds, the apron and the elegant square-
section legs terminating in hoof feet with a profusion of gilt-
decorated ‘flower-ball’ motif
134.5 by 47.5 by 84.5 cm, 53 by 18½ by 33¼ in.
W £ 80,000-120,000

Under the Yongzheng emperor, lacquered furniture became in Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynsties (II). The Complete
popular as a significant number of examples that survive in Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong,
the former imperial collection now in the Palace Museum in 2002, no. 143. On this table, the top is similarly painted in
Beijing illustrate. On one of the twelve paintings depicting gold with washes of red with a landscape centering on a lake
Beauties at Leisure commissioned by the future Yongzheng scattered with small islands with pavilions connected by bridg-
emperor between 1709 and 1723, a lady is shown seated at es, the waisted sides with shaped openings alternating with
a long gilt-painted and lacquered table similar in shape and striding gold dragons, the legs terminating in hoof feet raised
size to the present example, see Evelyn S. Rawski and Jessica on small balls, an unusual shared feature. While this table is
Rawson (eds.), China – The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal a low table, kang, it must belong to the same group as the
Academy of Arts, London, 2006, cat. no. 173. The emperors table offered here which is a larger side table, tiaozhuo. Like
love of gilt-decorated lacquered furniture may have been influ- the smaller kang table, which is seen in situ in the Tiyuan Dian
enced by Japanese lacquer pieces with extensive decoration in (Hall of Manifest Origin), in one of the Six Western Palaces,
gold, a technique that was perfected in Japan, compare ibid., published in Classics of Forbidden City. Architecture and
cat. no. 176. Decoration of the Forbidden City, Beijing, 2007, fig. 217.1, the
Among the many gilt-decorated lacquered furniture pieces present lot must have originally been displayed in one of the
in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, is a low table halls within the Forbidden City.
identical in shape and design to the present lot, illustrated

66 Buyers are liable to pay both the hammer price (as estimated above) and the buyer’s premium together with any applicable taxes and Artist’s Resale Right 67
(which will depend on the individual circumstances). Refer to the Buying at Auction and VAT sections at the back of this catalogue for further information.