Property from an Important Midwestern Collection
A pair of 'huanghuali' recessed-leg tables (Banzhuo), Qing dynasty, 17th / 18th century | 清十七 / 十八世紀 黃花梨夾頭榫半桌一對
Auction Closed
March 17, 08:20 PM GMT
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
A pair of 'huanghuali' recessed-leg tables (Banzhuo)
Qing dynasty, 17th / 18th century
清十七 / 十八世紀 黃花梨夾頭榫半桌一對
each with a top of standard miter, mortise and tenon construction, with three matching, tongue-and-grooved, floating panels supported by three dovetailed transverse stretchers, all with exposed tenons, the edge of the frame gently molded, the gently splayed round legs double tenoned into the top and cut to house the plain spandrelled apron, each pair of legs conjoined on the shorter sides with two oval-sectioned stretchers (2)
Height 27 ⅝ in., 70.2 cm; Width 34 ⅝ in., 87.9 cm; Depth 24 ¾ in., 62.9 cm
Tsao Hui Min Collection.
Christie’s New York, 21st September 2004, lot 42.
來源
Tsao Hui Min 收藏
紐約佳士得2004年9月21日，編號42
The simple, elegant and highly functional design of the present pair of tables is derived from standard wood building construction in use since the Han dynasty. Examples of this type, known as the 'standard table', date to as early as the Song dynasty. It is also referred to as a ‘character one table type’ (yi zi zhou shi) as the single horizontal stroke of the Chinese character for the numeral ‘one’ bears resemblance to the clean, angular lines of the table. This descriptive term is taken from the Wanli period edition of the Lu Ban jing jiang jia jing (The Classic of Lu Ban and the Craftsman’s Mirror).
Pairs of tables are rare and are generally of a more diminutive size, easily moved and suitable for a variety of functions. Woodblock print illustrations generally depict them against walls of reception halls serving as display surfaces for floral arrangements and works of art. They may also be placed back-to-back to form a larger surface.
Produced in varying sizes, the present table exemplifies a type of modest dimensions, readily portable and eminently useful. A table of the same form and similar dimensions from the collection of Dr. S.Y. Yip was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 7th October 2015, lot 130 and another in these rooms, 16th March 2016, lot 228.