SUZHOU, 19TH CENTURY

Details

A Very Rare Yumu Square-Corner Double Cabinet, Yuanjiaogui
Suzhou, 19th century
The protruding round-cornered top frame supported on corner posts and a central post of square section, enclosing the four well-figured matched panels of the doors above a pair of aprons terminating in cloud-form spandrels, the interior with two rows of shelves spanning the space within
84in. (214cm.) high, 89¾in. (227cm.) wide, 20 1/8in. (51cm.) deep

Literature

Classical and Vernacular Chinese Furniture in the Living Environment, Hong Kong, 1998, pp. 156-7, no. 30.

Lot Essay

The present lot is a rare example of 19th century cabinet manufacture from Suzhou. Square-corner cabinets of comparable design typically have only two doors and are only half the width. The massive size of this four-door cabinet makes it virtually unique in the vernacular and classical furniture traditions, and may have been the product of a special commission. Though this piece has been constructed in the style of a recessed-leg cabinet, the legs are straight and not splayed, making it a hybrid, straight-legged version of a round-corner cabinet.

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