Page 80 - Christie's Hong Kong November 29, 2022 Tseng Collection Chinese Furniture

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A RARE LARGE HUANGHUALI 十七世紀 黃花梨天平架

BALANCE STAND, TIANPINGJIA
來源
17TH CENTURY 嘉木堂，香港，1995 年
The elegantly formed upright frame is joined by a beaded humpback
stretcher above the humpback top, suspending a pair of balance 展覽
scales. The corner posts are flanked by phoenix shaped standing 《明式家具》，嘉木堂，香港，1995 年 10 月 30 日至 11 月 8 日
spandrels, all supported on two solid feet framing a long rectangular 借展 Crow 亞洲藝術館，得克薩斯，達拉斯，2007-2014 年
base with two drawers. The scale pulls, plates and lock receptacles are 借展洛杉磯郡藝術博物館，加利福尼亞，2014-2019 年
made of baitong.
出版
30 1/4 in. (77 cm.) high, 24 1/2 in. (62.3 cm) wide, 9 in. (22.9 cm) deep
嘉木堂，《明式家具》，香港，1995 年，68-69 頁，編號 32
HK$500,000-800,000
US$65,000-100,000 銀為明代主要貨幣單位，天平為其時日常生活之必需品，全國大小商店均見
其蹤。明代章回小說《金瓶梅》中之木刻版畫插圖，就有描繪絲綢店使用天
P R O V E N AN C E 平架（圖一）。而在貴胄之家，天平亦是管理內務的必備工具。
Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong, 1995.
本例可與另一較大的黃花梨天平架相較。該例屬前美國加州古典家具博
E XH IB I T E D
物館舊藏，於佳士得紐約售出，1996年9月19日，拍品11號，後入藏明尼阿
Ming Furniture, Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong, 30 October-18 波利斯藝術博物館，著錄於Robert Jacobsen及Nicholas Grindley著《明尼
November 1995. 阿波利斯藝術博物館藏中國古典家具》(Classical Chinese Furniture in the
Crow Museum of Asian Art, Dallas, Texas, on loan from 2007-2014. Minneapolis Institute of Arts)，芝加哥，1999年，頁176-77，編號63。北京恭王
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California, on loan from 2014- 府亦藏有一件明代拱梁天平架，尺寸幾乎相同，立柱雕飾近似，著錄於谷長
2019. 江等著，《恭王府明清家具集萃》，北京，2008年，編號78（圖二）。有一件結
構類似的明十七世紀黃花梨雙棖天平架，為Richard Fabian牧師舊藏，後於
LI T E R A T U RE
紐約蘇富比售出，2016年3月15日，拍品3號。另一近似例出自洪建生舊藏，
Grace Wu Bruce, Ming Furniture, Hong Kong, 1995, pp. 68-69, 於紐約佳士得售出，2018年3月22-23日，拍品949號。
no. 32.
Scales were essential for use in the Ming dynasty when silver was the
main form of currency. Large balance stands could be found in shops,
such as in a silk shop illustrated in a 17th century woodblock print from the
Jin Ping Mei (The Golden Lotus) (fig. 1), but also used by wealthy families,
where scales were used for the administration of the household.
A Ming dynasty hump-back balance stand of almost the same size and
very similarly carved standing spandrels is kept in the collection at Prince
Gong's Palace, Beijing, illustrated by Gu Changjiang et al., Selected
Chinese Classic Furniture at the Prince Gong's Palace, Beijing, 2008, no. 78
(fig. 2).

A closely related huanghuali balance stand from the Raymond Hung
Collection was sold at Christie’s New York, 22-23 March 2018, lot 949.
Another related balance stand made of zitan wood was sold at Christie's
New York, The Marie Theresa L. Virata Collection of Asian Art: A Family
Legacy, 16 March 2017, lot 645.

fig. 1: Ming dynasty woodblock print
illustration detail to Jin Ping Mei
(The Golden Lotus) fig. 2: Collection at the Prince Gong’s Palace, Beijing.
圖一：明代《金瓶梅》木刻版畫插圖 圖二：北京恭王府藏品

78 RICH GOLDEN HUES AND GRACEFUL FORMS