MING DYNASTY, LATE 16TH-EARLY 17TH CENTURY

Details

A HUANGHUALI THREE-DRAWER KANG TABLE, KANGZHUO
MING DYNASTY, 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.
11 1⁄2in. (29 cm.) high, 37 3⁄4 in. (96 cm.) wide, 9 7⁄8 in. (25 cm.) deep

Provenance

Sold at Christie’s New York, Important Chinese Furniture: Formerly the Museum of Classical Chinse Furniture Collection, 19 September 1996, lot 51

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 Shixiang & Curtis Evarts, Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chinese Art Foundation, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, p. 88, no. 41

Exhibited

Chinese Art Foundation, Chicago and San Francisco, Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, San Francisco, 1995, catalogue p. 88, no. 41

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.

Sale room notice

Please note this item can only be shipped to addresses within Hong Kong or collected from our Hong Kong saleroom and office.
請注意此拍賣品只可運送⾄香港境內的地址或從我們的香港拍賣場提取。

Conditions of sale

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

For a discussion of the uses of this type of kang table, including as an armrest and as a table top, see Wang Shixiang & Curtis Evarts, Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chinese Art Foundation, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, p. 88.

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 newlywed couple.

This item is made of a type of Dalbergia wood which is subject to CITES export/import restrictions since 2 January 2017. This item can only be shipped to addresses within Hong Kong or collected from our Hong Kong saleroom and office unless a CITES re-export permit is granted. Please contact the department for further information.

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