Page 174 - Bonhams Cornette Saint Cyr, Property from the estate of Jean-Pierre Rousset (1936-2021)

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EXCEPTIONNELLE TABLE IMPÉRIALE À GUQIN EN BOIS
LAQUÉ POLYCHROME AUX "TRENTE-DEUX DRAGONS"
Fin de la dynastie Ming (Première moitié du XVIIe siècle)
AN IMPORTANT AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE IMPERIAL
POLYCHROME LACQUER 'THIRTY-TWO-DRAGONS' GUQIN TABLE
Late Ming Dynasty (first half 17th century)
The top inset in the centre with a highly polished grey pottery
rectangular brick moulded with a pair of five-clawed dragons pursuing
the flaming pearl of wisdom amidst cloud scrolls and above crashing
waves centred around a mountain framed by a continuous lotus scroll,
all framed by the black-ground lacquered top decorated on each side
with a panel of mirror-image five-clawed dragon pursuing the flaming
pearl reserved on a diaper ground, all framed by a border enclosing
on each long side with a cartouche a full-faced five-clawed dragon
around the pearl, flanked by a pair of striding five-clawed dragons
pursuing pearls, the shorter sides similarly decorated with full-faced
dragons, all alternating with the Eight Precious Objects, the top with
slanted corners raised above the beaded waist decorated with foliate
floral and cloud scrolls, the shaped apron with a central foliate terminal,
each side with openwork sections carved and gilt-lacquered with the
Auspicious Objects flanked on the long sides by five-clawed dragons
pursuing flaming pearls above waves and amidst clouds and the
short sides with cloud scrolls and waves, the shaped legs similarly
decorated on each external side with two five-clawed dragons.
101.2cm (39 7/8in) wide x 73.5cm (28 15/16in) high x 34.3cm
(13 1/2in) deep; the inset brick, 64cm wide x 20.3cm deep x
6.2cm high (2).
€400,000 - 600,000

Provenance:
Adolphe (1843-1915) and Edgar Worch (1880-1972)
Galeries Georges Petit, Paris, 'Sequestre Worch' 29 March 1922,
lot 344
Robert Rousset, Paris (1901-1981)
Jean-Pierre Rousset, Paris (1936-2021)
Edgar Worch (1880-1972) was born in Kassel, Germany. In the early
20th century he worked for his uncle Adolphe Worch (1843-1915)
who was an established dealer in Chinese art in Paris since 1888.
Edgar Worch frequently travelled to China to buy works of art. His wife
Hedwig's parents, Georg and Gertrude Trubner, had also spent many
years in China. During the First World War, the business in Paris was
confiscated by the French government, and Edgar Worch returned
to Germany. After the War, Worch started his own business in Berlin,
dealing in Chinese ceramics. In 1932 Edgar and his wife went to
Geneva and in 1938 to New York.

Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr are grateful to Mr Laurent Colson for
generously providing the Worch provenance information.

172 | BONHAMS