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Lot Essay
The proportions of the present table, and generous use of large, single planks and panels of huanghuali, suggest an early date, as the members generally became smaller due to the shortage of huanghuali wood in subsequent years.
The everted flanges could be associated with features of ritual furniture that were to be handled with respect and reverence. When it comes to domestic use, the ritual aspect seemed to have remained. Tables such as the present lot would have been used as a side table or an altar table to occupy the central position at the main hall, as seen in the woodblock printed illustration of the late-Ming dynasty novel Jin Ping Mei (The Plum in the Golden Vase) Ch. 7, ‘Auntie Xue Proposes a Match with Tower of Jade’.
The superb level of craftsmanship, and style of carving seen on the present table demonstrate the finest taste and prominence of the owner. There are various designs and carved patterns to this type of tables, which can be found in renowned museums and private collections. Only a few other examples are known with ruyi-head panels carved as elegantly as the present table; one formerly in the collection of the Tsui Museum of Art, illustrated in Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-2003, Hong Kong, 2004, P. 201 (fig. 1); another one from Prince Gong’s Palace and currently in the collection of National Museum of China, is illustrated in Splendid Artwork in Wood– Chinese Qing and Ming Furniture, Beijing, 2014, p.70-71; and also a table previously in the Dr S Y Yip Collection, was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7th October 2015, Lot 127.
This item is made of a type of Dalbergia wood which is subject to CITES export/import restrictions since 2 January 2017. This item can only be shipped to addresses within Hong Kong or collected from our Hong Kong saleroom and office unless a CITES re-export permit is granted. Please contact the department for further information.
The everted flanges could be associated with features of ritual furniture that were to be handled with respect and reverence. When it comes to domestic use, the ritual aspect seemed to have remained. Tables such as the present lot would have been used as a side table or an altar table to occupy the central position at the main hall, as seen in the woodblock printed illustration of the late-Ming dynasty novel Jin Ping Mei (The Plum in the Golden Vase) Ch. 7, ‘Auntie Xue Proposes a Match with Tower of Jade’.
The superb level of craftsmanship, and style of carving seen on the present table demonstrate the finest taste and prominence of the owner. There are various designs and carved patterns to this type of tables, which can be found in renowned museums and private collections. Only a few other examples are known with ruyi-head panels carved as elegantly as the present table; one formerly in the collection of the Tsui Museum of Art, illustrated in Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-2003, Hong Kong, 2004, P. 201 (fig. 1); another one from Prince Gong’s Palace and currently in the collection of National Museum of China, is illustrated in Splendid Artwork in Wood– Chinese Qing and Ming Furniture, Beijing, 2014, p.70-71; and also a table previously in the Dr S Y Yip Collection, was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7th October 2015, Lot 127.
This item is made of a type of Dalbergia wood which is subject to CITES export/import restrictions since 2 January 2017. This item can only be shipped to addresses within Hong Kong or collected from our Hong Kong saleroom and office unless a CITES re-export permit is granted. Please contact the department for further information.