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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. Of special note on the present cabinet is the original wood stand. 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 easily damaged stand is also constructed in huanghuali, showing off the extravagance of wealth to the most refined but subtle detail.
The present cabinet stands out as a truly exquisite example of its type. The gentle splay in its design lends a sense of stability and balance to the form while retaining a very graceful and pleasing profile. Although the form of the present example was widely used in cabinet making throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, very few examples with original stands remain.
See a pair with similar lobed form members, exhibited and illustrated in Splendor of Style: Classical Furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1999, p. 160-161. Another comparable pair previously in the Dr. S. Y. Yip collection (fig. 1) was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 2810, for HK$18,250,000.
The present cabinet stands out as a truly exquisite example of its type. The gentle splay in its design lends a sense of stability and balance to the form while retaining a very graceful and pleasing profile. Although the form of the present example was widely used in cabinet making throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, very few examples with original stands remain.
See a pair with similar lobed form members, exhibited and illustrated in Splendor of Style: Classical Furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1999, p. 160-161. Another comparable pair previously in the Dr. S. Y. Yip collection (fig. 1) was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 2810, for HK$18,250,000.
