Page 78 - Bonhams Hong Kong Fine Chinese Works of Art December 2 2021
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It is very rare to find huanghuali bookcases of this type as a pair such Compare a similar huanghuali three-shelf bookcase, Ming dynasty,
as the present lot. Although bookcases and open-shelf stands are illustrated by Wang Shixiang, in ibid., pl.ding-3; and another larger
often referred to as shuge (bookcases), educated social elites would huanghuali three-shelf bookcase but with three drawers, 17th century,
also place art objects on the shelf, hence it is more appropriate to illustrated by G. W. Bruce, Ming Furniture Through My Eyes, Beijing,
refer to such open-shelf stands as jiage, the basic forms of which 2016, p.198.
are discussed by Wang Shixiang, Mingshi jiaju yanjiu, Beijing, 2007,
pp.165-166. Jiage with open shelving fulfilled two roles, as it allowed
scholars to create elegant displays of scholar’s objects and also
functioned for storage of albums and books.
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