A FINE POLYCHROME INCISED AND GILT LACQUERED LOW TABLE QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

the rectangular top panel finely incised and painted in polychrome with a pair of bats confronting a beribboned wan symbol in the centre framed by stylised kui dragon scrolls, all set within a network of meandering leafy lotus scrolls bordered by a keyfret band, the details enhanced with gilding

Two techniques have been skilfully combined to create the present table, which is notable for its complex design and particularly finely rendered scrolling leaves. The techniques of qiangjin ('etched gold'), where the lines of a design are incised and filled with gold, and tianqi ('filled-in'), where coloured lacquer was applied to enhance details and contrast against the ground, create a sense of opulence and enchantment to the design. These techniques were particularly popular during the Ming dynasty and continued into the Qing, with many pieces bearing Qianlong marks.

For tables of similar shape and decorated with various motifs using the qiangjin and tianqi techniques, see a larger example with a foliate design sold in our New York rooms, 26^th March 1996, lot 281; and a taller table decorated with peonies and scrollwork sold in these rooms, 19^th September 1975, lot 138.