Page 234 - Christies September 13 to 14th Fine Chinese Works of Art New York

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, NEW YORK
~1243
A RARE HUANGHUALI RECTANGULAR SIDE TABLE
17TH-18TH CENTURY
The table has a single foating panel set in a rectangular frame above a wraparound waist and
wraparound stretchers joined by pairs of interlocking rings around the exterior to simulate bamboo.
The whole is raised on thick legs of round section.
32 in. (81.3 cm) high, 54Ω (138.4 cm.) wide, 22Ω in. (57.2 cm.) deep

$70,000-90,000

PROVENANCE
Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong, 1998.
The design of the present table was inspired by bamboo furniture. The elegant wraparound elements
and rounded members were carved to simulate the bamboo furniture construction technique of bending
long stalks of bamboo using steam or heat. The abundance of bamboo made it popular among the
lower classes, as a cost-efective and more easily portable alternative to the more luxurious huanghuali
furniture. The present table would have been commissioned by a wealthy family, attracted to the humble
origins of bamboo furniture, but seeking the luxury and status associated with precious huanghuali.

A pair of bamboo-inspired rectangular tables was sold at Christie’s New York, 17-18 March 2016, lot
1316. See also, another pair of banzhuo of related design and proportion, illustrated by G. Wu Bruce,
Living with Ming - the Lu Ming Shi Collection, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 119, no. 27.
十七/十八世紀 黃花梨仿竹雙連環卡子花條桌

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