Page 84 - March 17, 2020 Impotant Chinese Art, Sotheby's, New York

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PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT MIDWESTERN COLLECTION
A PAIR OF ‘HUANGHUALI’ RECESSED-LEG
TABLES (BANZHUO)
QING DYNASTY, 17TH / 18TH CENTURY
each with a top of standard miter, mortise and tenon
construction, with three matching, tongue-and-grooved,
floating panels supported by three dovetailed transverse
stretchers, all with exposed tenons, the edge of the frame
gently molded, the gently splayed round legs double tenoned
into the top and cut to house the plain spandrelled apron,
each pair of legs conjoined on the shorter sides with two
oval-sectioned stretchers (2)
Height 27⅝ in., 70.2 cm; Width 34⅝ in., 87.9 cm;
Depth 24¾ in., 62.9 cm
PROVENANCE
Tsao Hui Min Collection.
Christie’s New York, 21st September 2004, lot 42.
The simple, elegant and highly functional design of the
present pair of tables is derived from standard wood building
construction in use since the Han dynasty. Examples of this
type, known as the ‘standard table’, date to as early as the
Song dynasty. It is also referred to as a ‘character one table
type’ (yi zi zhou shi) as the single horizontal stroke of the
Chinese character for the numeral ‘one’ bears resemblance
to the clean, angular lines of the table. This descriptive term
is taken from the Wanli period edition of the Lu Ban jing jiang
jia jing (The Classic of Lu Ban and the Craftsman’s Mirror).
Pairs of tables are rare and are generally of a more
diminutive size, easily moved and suitable for a variety of
functions. Woodblock print illustrations generally depict
them against walls of reception halls serving as display
surfaces for floral arrangements and works of art. They may
also be placed back-to-back to form a larger surface.
Produced in varying sizes, the present table exemplifies a
type of modest dimensions, readily portable and eminently
useful. A table of the same form and similar dimensions
from the collection of Dr. S.Y. Yip was sold in our Hong
Kong rooms, 7th October 2015, lot 130 and another in these
rooms, 16th March 2016, lot 228.
◉ $ 60,000-80,000

清十七 / 十八世紀 黃花梨夾頭榫半桌一對

來源
Tsao Hui Min 收藏
紐約佳士得2004年9月21日，編號42

164 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N10644 165