Page 21 - Bonhams NYC Chinese works of Art March 2019

See a pair of compound cabinets in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The present cabinets illustrate the Zhouzhi style in the transitional
New York, dating from the late 16th to early 17th century, with hat- Late Ming/early Qing dynasties. With flowering branches arising from
chests of a closely related size and strikingly similar inlay technique archaic-form vessels and objects, the inlay pattern shows an embrace
featuring floral motifs. of the guya (classic beauty and elegant taste) aesthetic trend, that
touched numerous aspects of Chinese decorative arts during this
The use of inlay on furniture in China dates to the Han dynasty, period.
applying semi-precious materials set in wood or lacquer to enhance
the object’s appearance. By the Ming dynasty the technique was For an essay on the Zhouzhi inlay see Curtis Evarts, “The Zhouzhi
recorded in the Xiushi Lu where varied materials such as coral, amber, tradition, Inlaid Hardwood Furnishings of the Late Ming and Qing
agate, ivory and horn were fashioned into intricate compositions of Dynasties” in Liang Yi Collection, Hong Kong, 2007, vol. 3 pp. 62-77.
abstract patterns, figural scenes or floral designs. The late Ming artisan
Zhou Zhu excelled at this technique, mainly on small table top items,
and thereafter the method became known as Zhouzhi (literally Made
by Zhou).