Lot Essay
A similar example, but with the stretchers placed lower down the leg, illustrated by Wang et al., Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, p. 4, no. 2, was sold in these rooms, September 19, 1996, lot 98. See, also, Sarah Handler, ''Life on a Platform'', JCCFS, Autumn 1993, p. 17, fig. 27, where the author discusses the use of such platforms as a later "chair level form of the early square, single-person seats seen in Han dynasty depictions"
The tradition of sage-monks sitting in contemplation upon rectangular platforms or "rope seats" stretches at least as far back as the Tang dynasty. Shi Shuqing, ''Ribenguo shouzang de Tangdai Yi Xing dengren huaxiang'', Wenwu, 1976:3, 35, figs. 1,2 illustrates a Tang dynasty portrait of Yi Xing seated upon one and Ming and Qing paintings frequently depict scholars and monks seated in contemplation on such platforms. See, also, Robert Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture, p. 98, col. pl. 27 for a picture of a gentleman scholar sitting on such a platform
A "side-lock" mortise and tenon joint is used to join the apron to the legs, whereby the end of each apron has two dovetail tenons, the lower being first inserted into a receptacle mortise before both tenons slide into locked positions within complementary mortises (see fig. 9, p. )
The tradition of sage-monks sitting in contemplation upon rectangular platforms or "rope seats" stretches at least as far back as the Tang dynasty. Shi Shuqing, ''Ribenguo shouzang de Tangdai Yi Xing dengren huaxiang'', Wenwu, 1976:3, 35, figs. 1,2 illustrates a Tang dynasty portrait of Yi Xing seated upon one and Ming and Qing paintings frequently depict scholars and monks seated in contemplation on such platforms. See, also, Robert Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture, p. 98, col. pl. 27 for a picture of a gentleman scholar sitting on such a platform
A "side-lock" mortise and tenon joint is used to join the apron to the legs, whereby the end of each apron has two dovetail tenons, the lower being first inserted into a receptacle mortise before both tenons slide into locked positions within complementary mortises (see fig. 9, p. )