Page 46 - Christie's Hong Kong November 29, 2022 Tseng Collection Chinese Furniture

Stools have been an integral part of Chinese furniture tradition and were 凳在中式家具傳統中不可或缺，室內室外皆有陳設。古代繪畫、版畫中也經
commonly used both indoors and outdoors. Circular stools of different 常出現各種形制的圓凳，如在《西廂記》的明代木刻版畫插圖中，便可見到
shapes have been illustrated in paintings and woodblock prints, such as 一張圓凳被當做矮几使用（圖一）。不過形如本品的三彎腿圓凳則較為少
in the 1498 illustration of Xixiang Ji (The Story of the Western Chamber)
where the circular stool was used as a table (fig. 1). However, surviving 見。本品流暢優雅的腿部線條既如象鼻，又似如意，一般在更高的圓形香几
examples of circular stools such as the present example with cabriole legs 上更為常見。一相似的黃花梨如意足四腿香几（88公分高）現屬中國文物信
are rare. 息咨詢中心收藏， 藏於北京恭王府，著錄於呂章申著，《大美木藝─中國明
清家具珍品》，北京，2014年，頁104-5（圖二）。另有一極為罕見且尺寸近似
The elegantly curved legs on the current example resemble an elephant
trunk or a curved ruyi-scepter. This type of leg can be found on incense （57公分高）的紫檀三彎腿圓凳，著錄於伍嘉恩著，《器美神完 — 明式家具
stands of circular form that are very similar in shape but are taller in 精華》，香港，2014年，頁124-31。
size. A huanghuali circular incense stand (88 cm. high) with four legs
terminating in ruyi-heads is in the collection of the Chinese Cultural Relic
Information Center, kept at the Prince Gong’s Palace, Beijing, is illustrated
by Lv Zhangshen, Wooden Art Chinese Furniture Treasures of Ming and
Qing Dynasties, Beijing, 2014, pp 104-105 (fig. 2). A very rare zitan circular
stool of similar size (57 cm. high) with four cabriole legs terminating in
scroll ends and braces supporting the seating tops is illustrated by Grace
Wu Bruce, Sublime and Divine. Chinese Ming Furniture, Hong Kong, 2014,
p. 124-31.

fig. 2: Chinese Cultural Relic Information Center, kept at the Prince
Gong’s Palace, Beijing.
圖二：中國文物信息咨詢中心藏品， 藏於北京恭王府

44 RICH GOLDEN HUES AND GRACEFUL FORMS