18TH-19TH CENTURY WITH ALTERATIONS

Details

A HUANGHUALI LUOHAN BED, KANG TABLE, AND A PAIR OF HONGMU FOOT STOOLS
18TH-19TH CENTURY WITH ALTERATIONS
The mat seat is set in a rectangular frame below openwork rails carved with a wan pattern, raised on thick legs terminating in split hoof feet. The kang table, 19th century, has a cusped, beaded apron and is supported on carved legs joined by a straight stretcher. The pair of foot stools are set with trellis pattern within the rectangular frame.
Luohan bed: 30 ¼ in. (76.8 cm.) high, 72 ½ in. (184.1 cm.) wide, 40 ½ in. (103 cm.) deep
Kang table: 9 3/8 in. (23.8 cm.) high, 26 3/8 in. (67 cm.) wide, 16 1/8 in. (41 cm.) deep
Foot stools: 5 ¾ in. (14.7 cm.) high, 19 1/8 in. (49.9 cm.) wide, 11 ¼ in. (28.6 cm.) deep

Provenance

The Collection of Dr. Frank E. (1897-1971) and Lillian (1907-1986) Whitacre, acquired between 1938-1939, and thence by descent within the family.

Special notice

Lots made of or including (regardless of the percentage) endangered and other protected species of wildlife are marked with the symbol ~ in the catalogue. This material includes, among other things, ivory, tortoiseshell, crocodile skin, rhinoceros horn, whalebone certain species of coral, and Brazilian rosewood. You should check the relevant customs laws and regulations before bidding on any lot containing wildlife material if you plan to import the lot into another country. Several countries refuse to allow you to import property containing these materials, and some other countries require a licence from the relevant regulatory agencies in the countries of exportation as well as importation. In some cases, the lot can only be shipped with an independent scientific confirmation of species and/or age, and you will need to obtain these at your own cost.

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

The present luohan bed is supported on the more rarely seen split hoof feet. A luohan bed, of larger proportions, with solid back and sides also raised on similar legs is illustrated by G. Ecke in Chinese Domestic Furniture, Vermont and Tokyo, 1962, pl. 27, no. 1. Another related bed, of similar construction, is in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, illustrated in Philadelphia Museum Bulletin: Winter 1963: Chinese Furniture, Volume LVIII, Number 276, p. 58, no. 2.

Literary texts suggest that luohanchuang were also considered part of everyday furnishings and were used in both formal and semi-formal interiors. Unlike canopy beds, luohan beds could be used to formally receive guests. For a discussion of the varied uses of this style of bed, see Sarah Handler, "Comfort and Joy: A Couch Bed for Day and Night," Journal of the Classical Chinese Furniture Society, Winter 1991, pp. 4-19.

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