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Lot Essay
The present cabinet is a superb example of the highly successful combination of huanghuali and spotted bamboo. Thin strips of bamboo were meticulously inlaid in hexagons depicting the pattern seen on tortoise shell, and angular scrolls of geometric pattern resembling the lattice panels decorating gardens in Southern China, both demonstrating exquisite craftmanship. The result is a pleasing combination of a mottled lighter bamboo contrasting attractively against the darker, lustrous grain of the huanghuali wood.
The round-corner tapered cabinet, yuanjiaogui, with its simple lines, is one of the most beautiful and elegant designs in classical Chinese furniture. It was a popular and successful form. Its type of construction was widely used in cabinet making throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the present rare cabinet this simple but elegant form has been elevated not only by the refined moulding of the huanghuali members and the carefully balanced proportions, but by the use of strips of spotted bamboo which form the panels of the doors and sides. The uniquely figured natural spots of bamboo with varying patterns and colours play against each other to create a fascinating visual interplay of light and dark.
This combination of a simple, well-known shape and two highly prized materials, huanghuali and fine spotted bamboo, exemplifies the scholarly ideal of classical Chinese furniture of 18th century. This unique cabinet is extremely rare for combining mixed materials of multiple designs, a contemplated choice for the construction of furniture and furnishings which became fashionable during the Qianlong period. There are only two related published examples known: a pair of huanghuali cabinets decorated with bamboo hexagons on both doors and sides, is illustrated in Living with Ming - the Lu Ming Shi Collection, Hong Kong, 2000; another example with only the doors inset with hexagons, is illustrated in Chan Chair and Qin Bench: The Dr S Y Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture II, Hong Kong, 1998, p.102.
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 round-corner tapered cabinet, yuanjiaogui, with its simple lines, is one of the most beautiful and elegant designs in classical Chinese furniture. It was a popular and successful form. Its type of construction was widely used in cabinet making throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the present rare cabinet this simple but elegant form has been elevated not only by the refined moulding of the huanghuali members and the carefully balanced proportions, but by the use of strips of spotted bamboo which form the panels of the doors and sides. The uniquely figured natural spots of bamboo with varying patterns and colours play against each other to create a fascinating visual interplay of light and dark.
This combination of a simple, well-known shape and two highly prized materials, huanghuali and fine spotted bamboo, exemplifies the scholarly ideal of classical Chinese furniture of 18th century. This unique cabinet is extremely rare for combining mixed materials of multiple designs, a contemplated choice for the construction of furniture and furnishings which became fashionable during the Qianlong period. There are only two related published examples known: a pair of huanghuali cabinets decorated with bamboo hexagons on both doors and sides, is illustrated in Living with Ming - the Lu Ming Shi Collection, Hong Kong, 2000; another example with only the doors inset with hexagons, is illustrated in Chan Chair and Qin Bench: The Dr S Y Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture II, Hong Kong, 1998, p.102.
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.