A LARGE RARE HUANGHUALI TRAVELING BOOKCASE

This exceptionally large and well-proportioned traveling bookcase opens to reveal a central opening and drawers and is likely to have stored books or paintings and a devotional figure. To facilitate transport and to protect the traveling case from moisture or insects, the cabinet was raised on a fitted base with an upright frame joined by a carrying handle at top and would have been carried at either end of a long carrying pole. Portable bookcases, such as the present example, would have been standard traveling accoutrement for high ranking and prominent officials.

A pair of smaller huanghuali traveling scholar’s bookcases with carrying handles, formerly in the collection of Raymond Hung was sold at Christie’s New York, 21 March 2014, lot 2313. A taller huanghuali traveling bookcase of slimmer proportions, without a carrying handle, was sold at Christie’s New York, 16 September 2016, lot 1206.