A SMALL ZITAN 'DRAGON' TABLE CABINET QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

of rectangular form, the two front doors deftly carved with confronting five-clawed dragons writhing among swirling clouds, within a border of leiwen centred with wan symbols and repeated along the edges, one side further carved with a spray of chrysanthemum and the other with a spray of peony, each growing on a cragged rock with attendant lingzhi and reserved on a leiwen ground, the recessed panelled zitan top, reverse and bottom left plain, the hinged doors opening to reveal a single horizontal shelf and set with a tripartite lock-plate incised with dragons, the tightly grained wood of deep reddish-brown colour