A HUANGHUALI THREE-DRAWER KANG TABLE, KANGZHUO

Details

A HUANGHUALI THREE-DRAWER KANG TABLE, KANGZHUO
LATE 16TH/EARLY 17TH CENTURY

The thick table top terminating in everted, scrolled flanges with bracket-form spandrels carved with a leaf motif beneath, the central frame, between short, flared legs, enclosing a large middle drawer and two smaller side drawers supported on a low stretcher with attached apron, the apron with beaded edge and conforming leaf motifs at either end, the openwork end panels with carving of rocks, pomegranates and magpies, the wood of well-figured grain
11½in. (29cm.) high, 37 3/4in. (96cm) wide, 9 7/8in. (25cm.) deep

Literature

Sarah Handler, "On a New World Arose the Kang Table", JCCFS, Summer 1992, p. 41, figs. 30 and 30a
Terese Tse Bartholomew, "Botanical Motifs in Chinese Furniture", JCCFS, Autumn 1992, p. 43, fig. 15
Wang et al., Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, p. 88, no. 41

Lot Essay

See Wang et al., p. 88, for a discussion of the uses of this type of kang table, including as an armrest and as a table top

With its auspicious motifs of the magpies (xi) standing for happiness (xi) and the pomegranates representing the wish for many offspring, it is likely that this piece would have been a dowry gift for a newly wed couple