A RARE LARGE HUANGHUALI BALANCE STAND, TIANPINGJIA
A RARE LARGE HUANGHUALI BALANCE STAND, TIANPINGJIA
A RARE LARGE HUANGHUALI BALANCE STAND, TIANPINGJIA
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Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… Read more
A RARE LARGE HUANGHUALI BALANCE STAND, TIANPINGJIA

17TH CENTURY

Details
A RARE LARGE HUANGHUALI BALANCE STAND, TIANPINGJIA
17TH CENTURY
The elegantly formed upright frame is joined by a beaded humpback stretcher above the humpback top, suspending a pair of balance scales. The corner posts are flanked by phoenix shaped standing spandrels, all supported on two solid feet framing a long rectangular base with two drawers. The scale pulls, plates and lock receptacles are made of baitong.
30 1/4 in. (77 cm.) high, 24 1/2 in. (62.3 cm) wide, 9 in. (22.9 cm) deep
Provenance
Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong, 1995.
Literature
Grace Wu Bruce, Ming Furniture, Hong Kong, 1995, pp. 68-69, no. 32.
Exhibited
Ming Furniture, Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong, 30 October-18 November 1995.
Crow Museum of Asian Art, Dallas, Texas, on loan from 2007-2014.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California, on loan from 2014-2019.
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.
Further details
Please note these lots incorporate material from endangered species which could result in export restrictions. You should check the relevant customs laws and regulations before bidding on this lot if you plan to import the lot into another country. Please refer to Christie’s Conditions of Sale.

Brought to you by

Pola Antebi (安蓓蕾)
Pola Antebi (安蓓蕾) Deputy Chairman, Asia Pacific, International Director

Lot Essay

Scales were essential for use in the Ming dynasty when silver was the main form of currency. Large balance stands could be found in shops, such as in a silk shop illustrated in a 17th century woodblock print from the Jin Ping Mei (The Golden Lotus) (fig. 1), but also used by wealthy families, where scales were used for the administration of the household.

A Ming dynasty hump-back balance stand of almost the same size and very similarly carved standing spandrels is kept in the collection at Prince Gong's Palace, Beijing, illustrated by Gu Changjiang et al., Selected Chinese Classic Furniture at the Prince Gong's Palace, Beijing, 2008, no. 78 (fig. 2). A closely related huanghuali balance stand from the Raymond Hung Collection was sold at Christie’s New York, 22-23 March 2018, lot 949. Another related balance stand made of zitan wood was sold at Christie's New York, The Marie Theresa L. Virata Collection of Asian Art: A Family Legacy, 16 March 2017, lot 645.

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