18TH-19TH CENTURY

This impressive root-form stand is carved from a solid section of massive huanghuali. Measuring a staggering 30 1⁄2 inches in height, the present incense stand easily dwarfs the more commonly-seen rootwood or root-form display stands, such as the tall rootwood display stand (11 1⁄4 in. high) sold at Christie's New York, 17 March 2016, lot 1130. Inspired by a humble material, this rare incense stand would have been commissioned by a wealthy family, attracted to the modest origins of rootwood furniture, but seeking the luxury and status associated with precious huanghuali.

In the Ming period, most notably in the Jiangnan region, rootwood furniture came into fashion. This style of furniture was constructed using naturally occuring clusters of rootwood or sections of rootwood over a softwood core. Rootwood furniture reflected a cultivated literati taste, seen in scholar's studios and gardens. See, for example, a suite of rootwood furniture, comprising a pair of armchairs and a circular table in the Palace Museum collection and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, vol. 54, Hong Kong, 2002, p. 290, pl. 245.