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Lot Essay
The distinctive figuration on the four broad, single panels indicates that they were cut from the same piece of timber. The panels are fitted with the grain set at opposing mirror image, thus giving a sense of drama and motion to the cabinets. The careful matching of the doors suggests that the cabinet-maker intentionally designed the cabinets to feature the natural markings of the wood and had remarkable sensitivity with materials.
Of special note on the present cabinets is the original wood stands. The function of the wood stand is to raise and protect the furniture from having direct contact with the damp floor, which may have been used exclusively in the southern region of China with relatively high humidity. It is extremely rare to find cabinets retaining the original wood stand because this type of structure has been difficult to preserve as damage from moisture would be expected. In addition to the rarity, the planks on the likely damaged stands are also constructed in single panel huanghuali, showing off the extravagance of wealth to the most refined but subtle detail.
The present pair of cabinets stands out as a truly exquisite example of its type, all the rarer for being a pair. The gentle splay in its design lends a sense of stability and balance to the form while retaining a very graceful and pleasing profile. The simple but elegant form of these cabinets is the classic Ming style, characterised by the finely carved ruyi-form apron on the stands which is a typical design of the period. Such detail is also seen on the apron of a huanghuali square table dated to Ming dynasty (fig. 1) in the Beijing Palace Museum collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 85, no. 69. Although the form of the present example was widely used in cabinet making throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, only one published example of slightly lower height has retained its original stands, which is exhibited and illustrated in Splendor of Style: Classical Furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1999, p. 160-161.
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.
Of special note on the present cabinets is the original wood stands. The function of the wood stand is to raise and protect the furniture from having direct contact with the damp floor, which may have been used exclusively in the southern region of China with relatively high humidity. It is extremely rare to find cabinets retaining the original wood stand because this type of structure has been difficult to preserve as damage from moisture would be expected. In addition to the rarity, the planks on the likely damaged stands are also constructed in single panel huanghuali, showing off the extravagance of wealth to the most refined but subtle detail.
The present pair of cabinets stands out as a truly exquisite example of its type, all the rarer for being a pair. The gentle splay in its design lends a sense of stability and balance to the form while retaining a very graceful and pleasing profile. The simple but elegant form of these cabinets is the classic Ming style, characterised by the finely carved ruyi-form apron on the stands which is a typical design of the period. Such detail is also seen on the apron of a huanghuali square table dated to Ming dynasty (fig. 1) in the Beijing Palace Museum collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 85, no. 69. Although the form of the present example was widely used in cabinet making throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, only one published example of slightly lower height has retained its original stands, which is exhibited and illustrated in Splendor of Style: Classical Furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1999, p. 160-161.
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.