A MAGNIFICENT AND IMPORTANT ZITAN LUOHAN BED, LUOHANCHUANG
Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… 显示更多
A MAGNIFICENT AND IMPORTANT ZITAN LUOHAN BED, LUOHANCHUANG

18TH CENTURY

细节
A MAGNIFICENT AND IMPORTANT ZITAN LUOHAN BED, LUOHANCHUANG
18TH CENTURY
The solid shaped back and side panels are fitted into a thick rectangular frame carved with molded edge and set with a mat platform, above a narrow, concave waist and plain, beaded aprons. The whole is raised on thick beaded, inward-curving legs.
29 in. (73.7 cm.) high, 86 ½ in. (219.7 cm.) wide, 50 ½ in. (128.3 cm.) deep
来源
Chan Shing Kee, Hong Kong.
My Humble House, Taipei.
Ever Arts Gallery, Hong Kong.
The Marie Theresa L. Virata (1923-2015) Collection.
注意事项
Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.
拍场告示
Please kindly note that the first line of the provenance should read: Chan Shing Kee, Hong Kong.

拍品专文

The luohanchuang, or couch bed, is found in both the private chambers of women and the studio of a literati gentleman. A woodblock print from the Ming dynasty novel, Jin Ping Mei, shows Pan Jinlian, the principal female character, reclining on a luohanchuang with solid rails and inward-curving legs, similar to the present example. In the north, kang platforms were used for sleeping; however, literary texts suggest that luohanchuang were also considered part of the everyday furnishings, as described by Cao Xueqin in Dream of the Red Chamber: “Aroma could see that Parfumee was extremely drunk. Fearing that any but the slightest movement might make her sick, she lifted her up very, very gently, and laid her down beside Bao-Yu on the kang. She herself lay down on the couch opposite” (Penguin Classics, vol. 3, p. 231) (fig. 1).

A luohanchuang was also considered an essential furnishing for the master's studio. Wen Zhenheng dedicates a chapter to tables and couches in his Treatise on Superfluous Things, writing "when men of old made tables and couches, although the length and width were not standardized, they were invariably antique" (gu), which according to Craig Clunas (Chinese Furniture, p. 11) does not just mean ‘chronologically old’ but implies ‘morally ennobling’. Wen goes on to say, “There is no way that they are not convenient, whether for sitting up, lying down or reclining. In moments of pleasant relaxation they would spread out classic or historical texts, examine works of calligraphy or painting, display ancient bronze vessels, dine or take a nap, as the furniture was suitable for all these things. The men of today make them in a manner which merely prefers carved and painted decoration to delight the vulgar eye, while the antique pieces are cast aside, causing one to sigh in deep regret” (Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things, Material Culture and Social Status in Early Modern China, p. 42).

The elegant simplicity of this unadorned luohanchuang is derived from its pure form and balanced proportions and represents a true interpretation of the concept of gu, as defined by Wen Zhenheng.

更多来自 家族遗珍:玛丽‧泰瑞莎‧L‧维勒泰亚洲艺术珍藏

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