A PAIR OF HUANGHUALI AND BURLWOOD CABINETS (MUZHOUMENGUI) LATE MING / EARLY QING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY

each sloping style cabinet with protruding round-cornered top supported on slightly tapered corner posts of square section, enclosing a well-figured pair of burlwood doors separated by a removable stile, the side panels composed of two-board floating panels, the interior fitted with two shelves, all above a plain narrow apron and spandrels on legs of square section, the reddish color of the huanghuali frame forming a striking contrast with the darker variegated burlwood panels, each set with baitong fittings (2)

Sotheby's New York, 31st March 2005, lot 301.

Both cabinets in overall good condition. The burlwood veneer panels and joins have been consolidated and there are filled splits to both back panels. The elmwood shelves with Huanghuali fronts are probably later replacements as are the mounts. One cabinet with the front stile broken and repaired. The lacquer on the back of the cabinets probably later added. There is a possibility that the frames have been reduced due to shrinkage of the side panels.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Compare a pair of cupboards with a similar use of contrasting woods, burlwood door panels and structural panels of huanghuali from the Collection of Charlotte Horstmann, illustrated in Robert H. Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture, New York, 1970, pl. 122.  Another smaller example is illustrated  in Grace Wu Bruce, Two Decades of Ming Furniture, Beijing, 2010,  p. 217.