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Lot Essay
Of all the forms in Chinese furniture, the square, rectangular (including those with canted corners) are the most common, followed by circular, and then the hexagonal, octagonal, quatri-lobed, cinque-lobed, hexa-lobed and the conjoined-lozenge form etc. As the forms became more complicated, the craftsmanship required became more demanding. These pieces with complicated forms were not only made to demonstrate the ultimate artistic skills that were achieved but they also served a functional purpose for their display locations. Take the current hexagonal table, for example, the inclusion of a drawer points to certain degree of frivolity and functionality, and it would have been placed in the centre of an important space where people can sit around it without the sitters having to distinguish their ranks. Its large size and unique style makes it the only such example. Most hexagonal or circular tables of this size were made with two independent halves, so that they can be used individually, and rarely have the gravitas of the current example.
The table top is made with six sections joined by invisible tenons, a common joinery in zitan furniture. The edge of the table top has a subtly tapered profile reducing to a single step towards the bottom edge, and looks very simple and elegant.
It has a relatively high waist, which is carved in relief with scrolling passion fruit blooms and acanthus leaves, each bloom accompanied by four leaves, giving the impression of four cartouches per each side of the waist. The step below the waist is carved with a band of lotus petals. This type of lotus petals are named in the Records (archival records of the imperial workshops known as the Zaobanchu) as the ‘badama’, a terminology that could be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty. The raised apron is carved with a band of cloud scrolls on the top edge, much like a brocade border. Although it is also relief carving, the carving style is quite different. Unlike the sharp carving of the previous bands, this is carved in a more rounded and fuller style, akin to carvings on rhinoceros horns, and acts to elongate the lotus band below the waist to give a more luxurious effect.
The legs are placed at the six corners, and each conforms to the angle of the corner with a ridge. The way they are joined to the aprons has the appearance of inserted-shoulder joints, but is actually done by embracing-shoulder tenons. Between the legs there are stretchers on both sides, uncarved except for beading on the edges. The space between the aprons, legs and stretchers are inserted with a drawer. The drawers, because of the hexagonal form of the table, are in trapezoid shape. Each of the drawer is fitted on the base with a piece of slider, which slots into the grooved baseplate. The face of each drawer is carved with passion fruit scrolls, the central quatrefoil bloom fitted with a chrysanthemum form metal plate and fish-form handle, flanked by meandering acanthus leaves. Below the stretchers there are pierced aprons of floral scrolls, each with three blooms joined by scrolling leaves.
The cabriole legs are derived from the ‘dragonfly legs’ of Ming-style furniture. The upper sections are decorated with furled leaves, the ‘wings’ of the dragonfly, and the legs taper in from this point to form the cabriole. The lower section of the legs are straight from this point, with the two edges beaded, and terminate in an up-curled ruyi head, corresponding to the ruyi heads on the apron and the curled leaves of the upper section. The ruyi terminal is carved plump, with a raised spine, corresponding to the ridge of the legs. There are stretchers below the legs supporting a reticulated footrest. The stretchers have aprons carved with scrolling clouds terminating in the centre with a large ruyi head.
The current table is very large in size and also unique in style, and is the only such example recorded. However, its form and style are comparable to many zitan furniture from the Qianlong period. For example, there is a pair of square zitan stands with cabriole legs decorated with passion fruit scrolls in the Palace Museum (fig. 1), which is closely related to the current table from the details on the legs, the waist, the aprons and the spandrels, even though the size and form are different. These stands are recorded to be displayed in the Shoukang Palace, together with four zitan chairs with passion fruit scrolls. The Shoukang Palace was home to the dowager empress Chongqing in the Qianlong period.
The footrest panel is fitted recessed, with a beaded edge and canted corners. The passion fruit scroll, with a very balanced and classic composition and beautifully executed carving, is an exemplary Qianlong period carving of this genre. In the centre is a large passion fruit bloom with three rows of six petals, corresponding to the hexagonal form of the table. It is surrounded by curling acanthus leaves all around, dotted with buds and blooms, and rendered in various techniques such as relief, reticulated and incised carving to depict the leaves furling and unfurling. The luxurious carving coupled with the dark texture of the zitan produce a very noble effect overall.
The passion fruit scroll, composed of the passion fruit bloom, buds and acanthus leaves, is archetypical of the Rococo style. It was introduced to China in the early Qing period, and is also called ‘western bloom’ or ‘foreign bloom’. This exotic pattern was very popular with the Imperial court, and was used extensively on objects. Missionaries were drafted into the Palace to produce enamelled wares, porcelain and furniture so that these objects could be displayed in western style palaces. For example, the records show that on the 14th day, 6th month of 16th year of Qianlong, the emperor requested to:
“Replace the four lacquer incense stands on the western stage of Shuifa Palace. Order Lang Shining to draft a few of the same size in western style for preview.”
This table is a typical Imperial furniture made for the Palace. The Records of the Zaobanchu indicate that these zitan pieces of large size and quantity were mostly made by the Zaobanchu branch in the Guangzhou Customs office, either by Imperial command because zitan was mostly imported, or as tribute. The Guangzhou customs had abundant raw material because zitan was mostly imported, as well as a supply of capable craftsmen. In fact, many of the carpenters in the Yangxindian Zaobanchu were drafted from Guangzhou. Besides, missionaries often entered China through Guangzhou, there was a strong Western influence reflected in the works that were produced. Thus, the use of passion fruit scrolls was most successfully adapted on furniture made in Guangzhou. For example, on the 17th year of Qianlong, Ali Gun, the Governor of Hu Guang, and Li Yongbiao, the supervisor of Guangzhou Customs, sent as tribute ‘a pair of large zitan tables with hundred bats and western flowers, a set of 12 zitan chairs with foreign flowers, a pair of large zitan screens inset with glass, and a pair of zitan horizontal hanging panels with painted glass insets’. The ‘hundred bats and western flowers’ mentioned here are probably bats with lotus or passion fruit scrolls, while the ‘foreign flowers’ are likely also passion fruit scrolls.
The current table was once in the hands of renowned dealer Yamanaka & Co., and later included in the Hosokawa Moritatsu Family Collection. Yamanaka purchased a large amount of works of art from the residence of Prince Kung, including several furniture pieces that were published. The current table was included in Antiques of the World Exhibition in Tokyo, and published in 1932 (fig.2), followed by the Grand Exhibition of the World Ancient Relics in Tokyo, 1938 (fig.3). Hosokawa Moritatsu (1883-1970) was the founder of Eisei Bunko (Eisei Archive) in Tokyo that assembled 80,000 pieces of Eastern works of art. The lineage of Hosokawa clan dates back to 14th century in Kumamoto, Japan. It is worth mentioning that on the base of each of the drawer there is a stamped mark ‘made in China’- a mark commonly seen on export porcelain pieces in the late Qing dynasty, Guangxu period. Perhaps this table was sent overseas as an export piece at the time.
The table top is made with six sections joined by invisible tenons, a common joinery in zitan furniture. The edge of the table top has a subtly tapered profile reducing to a single step towards the bottom edge, and looks very simple and elegant.
It has a relatively high waist, which is carved in relief with scrolling passion fruit blooms and acanthus leaves, each bloom accompanied by four leaves, giving the impression of four cartouches per each side of the waist. The step below the waist is carved with a band of lotus petals. This type of lotus petals are named in the Records (archival records of the imperial workshops known as the Zaobanchu) as the ‘badama’, a terminology that could be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty. The raised apron is carved with a band of cloud scrolls on the top edge, much like a brocade border. Although it is also relief carving, the carving style is quite different. Unlike the sharp carving of the previous bands, this is carved in a more rounded and fuller style, akin to carvings on rhinoceros horns, and acts to elongate the lotus band below the waist to give a more luxurious effect.
The legs are placed at the six corners, and each conforms to the angle of the corner with a ridge. The way they are joined to the aprons has the appearance of inserted-shoulder joints, but is actually done by embracing-shoulder tenons. Between the legs there are stretchers on both sides, uncarved except for beading on the edges. The space between the aprons, legs and stretchers are inserted with a drawer. The drawers, because of the hexagonal form of the table, are in trapezoid shape. Each of the drawer is fitted on the base with a piece of slider, which slots into the grooved baseplate. The face of each drawer is carved with passion fruit scrolls, the central quatrefoil bloom fitted with a chrysanthemum form metal plate and fish-form handle, flanked by meandering acanthus leaves. Below the stretchers there are pierced aprons of floral scrolls, each with three blooms joined by scrolling leaves.
The cabriole legs are derived from the ‘dragonfly legs’ of Ming-style furniture. The upper sections are decorated with furled leaves, the ‘wings’ of the dragonfly, and the legs taper in from this point to form the cabriole. The lower section of the legs are straight from this point, with the two edges beaded, and terminate in an up-curled ruyi head, corresponding to the ruyi heads on the apron and the curled leaves of the upper section. The ruyi terminal is carved plump, with a raised spine, corresponding to the ridge of the legs. There are stretchers below the legs supporting a reticulated footrest. The stretchers have aprons carved with scrolling clouds terminating in the centre with a large ruyi head.
The current table is very large in size and also unique in style, and is the only such example recorded. However, its form and style are comparable to many zitan furniture from the Qianlong period. For example, there is a pair of square zitan stands with cabriole legs decorated with passion fruit scrolls in the Palace Museum (fig. 1), which is closely related to the current table from the details on the legs, the waist, the aprons and the spandrels, even though the size and form are different. These stands are recorded to be displayed in the Shoukang Palace, together with four zitan chairs with passion fruit scrolls. The Shoukang Palace was home to the dowager empress Chongqing in the Qianlong period.
The footrest panel is fitted recessed, with a beaded edge and canted corners. The passion fruit scroll, with a very balanced and classic composition and beautifully executed carving, is an exemplary Qianlong period carving of this genre. In the centre is a large passion fruit bloom with three rows of six petals, corresponding to the hexagonal form of the table. It is surrounded by curling acanthus leaves all around, dotted with buds and blooms, and rendered in various techniques such as relief, reticulated and incised carving to depict the leaves furling and unfurling. The luxurious carving coupled with the dark texture of the zitan produce a very noble effect overall.
The passion fruit scroll, composed of the passion fruit bloom, buds and acanthus leaves, is archetypical of the Rococo style. It was introduced to China in the early Qing period, and is also called ‘western bloom’ or ‘foreign bloom’. This exotic pattern was very popular with the Imperial court, and was used extensively on objects. Missionaries were drafted into the Palace to produce enamelled wares, porcelain and furniture so that these objects could be displayed in western style palaces. For example, the records show that on the 14th day, 6th month of 16th year of Qianlong, the emperor requested to:
“Replace the four lacquer incense stands on the western stage of Shuifa Palace. Order Lang Shining to draft a few of the same size in western style for preview.”
This table is a typical Imperial furniture made for the Palace. The Records of the Zaobanchu indicate that these zitan pieces of large size and quantity were mostly made by the Zaobanchu branch in the Guangzhou Customs office, either by Imperial command because zitan was mostly imported, or as tribute. The Guangzhou customs had abundant raw material because zitan was mostly imported, as well as a supply of capable craftsmen. In fact, many of the carpenters in the Yangxindian Zaobanchu were drafted from Guangzhou. Besides, missionaries often entered China through Guangzhou, there was a strong Western influence reflected in the works that were produced. Thus, the use of passion fruit scrolls was most successfully adapted on furniture made in Guangzhou. For example, on the 17th year of Qianlong, Ali Gun, the Governor of Hu Guang, and Li Yongbiao, the supervisor of Guangzhou Customs, sent as tribute ‘a pair of large zitan tables with hundred bats and western flowers, a set of 12 zitan chairs with foreign flowers, a pair of large zitan screens inset with glass, and a pair of zitan horizontal hanging panels with painted glass insets’. The ‘hundred bats and western flowers’ mentioned here are probably bats with lotus or passion fruit scrolls, while the ‘foreign flowers’ are likely also passion fruit scrolls.
The current table was once in the hands of renowned dealer Yamanaka & Co., and later included in the Hosokawa Moritatsu Family Collection. Yamanaka purchased a large amount of works of art from the residence of Prince Kung, including several furniture pieces that were published. The current table was included in Antiques of the World Exhibition in Tokyo, and published in 1932 (fig.2), followed by the Grand Exhibition of the World Ancient Relics in Tokyo, 1938 (fig.3). Hosokawa Moritatsu (1883-1970) was the founder of Eisei Bunko (Eisei Archive) in Tokyo that assembled 80,000 pieces of Eastern works of art. The lineage of Hosokawa clan dates back to 14th century in Kumamoto, Japan. It is worth mentioning that on the base of each of the drawer there is a stamped mark ‘made in China’- a mark commonly seen on export porcelain pieces in the late Qing dynasty, Guangxu period. Perhaps this table was sent overseas as an export piece at the time.