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Lot Essay
The carved decorative motifs of the current lot display a strong influence from European rococo style, a feature adopted from the early Qing period onwards.
The construction of European-style architecture flourished in China from the 17th century, the finest examples being the Western palace in the Yuanmingyuan, or the Imperial Summer Palace. European Rococo floral motifs seen on such furnishing began to be favoured by the Chinese and were used in combination with more traditional designs. The blending of motifs, seen for example on the current lot, shows the traditional Chinese lotus and European style acanthus leaves.
It is interesting to note that the acanthus motif was a particular favourite with the Emperor Qianlong and was adopted in the decoration of his magnificent European palaces, Xiyanglou, located in the northern part of the Yuanmingyuan.
Compare the use of Western and Chinese plant motifs on other furniture such as a finely carved zitan cabinet from the Palace Museum published in Tian Jiaqing, 'Zitan and Zitan Furniture', Orientations, December, 1994, fig. 5; compare also a red sandalwood chair decorated with dahlia motifs, from the Qing Court Collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in the The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 55.
The construction of European-style architecture flourished in China from the 17th century, the finest examples being the Western palace in the Yuanmingyuan, or the Imperial Summer Palace. European Rococo floral motifs seen on such furnishing began to be favoured by the Chinese and were used in combination with more traditional designs. The blending of motifs, seen for example on the current lot, shows the traditional Chinese lotus and European style acanthus leaves.
It is interesting to note that the acanthus motif was a particular favourite with the Emperor Qianlong and was adopted in the decoration of his magnificent European palaces, Xiyanglou, located in the northern part of the Yuanmingyuan.
Compare the use of Western and Chinese plant motifs on other furniture such as a finely carved zitan cabinet from the Palace Museum published in Tian Jiaqing, 'Zitan and Zitan Furniture', Orientations, December, 1994, fig. 5; compare also a red sandalwood chair decorated with dahlia motifs, from the Qing Court Collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in the The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 55.