17TH CENTURY

Portable and with its durable green marble top, the present table could have been used for outdoor entertaining in a garden or along a riverbank. The table could have been used for the burning of fragrant incense or for the presentation of wine. Stone tops were prized for both their decorative effect but also for their durability. Tables with stone tops are easy to clean and resistant to heat and moisture. A practical surface, the stone could more easily withstand the wear and tear of hot censers, staining from wine or tea, and the outdoor elements than its wood counterparts. Thus, there are few surviving examples from the 17th century, as the harder wear on the table tops resulted in damage from use. Serpentine, marble, puddingstone, agate were materials commonly used for the stone tops. These materials were selected for their decorative patterning and rich colors. Huanghuali tables with stone tops are a harmonious marriage of contrasting materials to create an elegant piece of furniture. For a discussion of marble and other stones used in Ming and early Qing furniture, see Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, vol. I, Hong Kong, 1990, pp. 153-4.

A green stone-inset huanghuali recessed-leg wine table, dating to the 17th century, with similarly carved legs formerly in the collection of Dr. S.Y. Yip was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 6 October 2015, lot 101. See, also another larger green stone huanghuali recessed-leg wine table illustrated by G. W. Bruce, Two Decades of Ming Furniture, Beijing 2010, p. 71. A third green stone, identified as serpentine, huanghuali recessed-leg table with demountable legs, formerly in the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, is illustrated by Wang Shixiang and Curtis Evarts, Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, p. 94-95, no. 44.