QING DYNASTY, 17-18TH CENTURY

Details

A VERY RARE HUANGHUALI SIX-POSTER CANOPY BED, JIAZICHUANG
QING DYNASTY, 17-18TH CENTURY
The soft mat top is set into a rectangular base formed by members of simianping, 'four-sides-flush'. The waistless platform is set on the
plain aprons continuing to the straight rectangular legs with hoof feet joined by stretchers on the short sides. The four corner posts and two front posts are joined on the three sides and part of the front with openwork railings of wan-design lattice. The posts are joined at the top by similarly pierced panels above spandrels carved with leafy scrolls.
85 ¼ in. (216.5 cm.) high; 83 1/8 in. (211 cm.) wide; 52 7/8 in. (134.5 cm.) deep

Provenance

Christie's New York, 21 March 2000, lot 27
The Heveningham Hall Collection

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory, tortoiseshell and crocodile. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Brought to you by

Marco Almeida (安偉達) SVP, Senior International Specialist, Head of Department & Head of Private Sales

malmeida@christies.com +852 2978 6735

Lot Essay

The present lot differs from other published examples of six-poster canopy beds such as lot 2815 in a number of ways. Its unusual simianping, ‘four-sides-flush’ construction in combination with slightly longer and narrower legs lends the bed clean lines and a light feel. An austere elegance is achieved by unity of design with the high latticework railings featuring the wan-design echoed in the narrow upper railings with slanted wan characters. Compare a closely related huanghuali babuchuang, alcove bed, also with simianping base platform construction and wan-design railing but without side stretchers (fig. 1) in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art collection, Kansas City. See another example of similar construction but only the front railing panels in wan-design previously in the Philippe de Backer Collection, sold at China Guardian Beijing, 21 May 2011, lot 3348, for RMB 9,430,000.

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