A FINELY CARVED IMPERIAL ZITAN SQUARE TABLE, FANGZHUO QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

with a plain panelled top and short indented frieze skilfully formed and finely carved with acanthus-leaf scrolls above a ruyi band, the shaped apron similarly carved with the leafy scrolls continuing onto the square-section legs, the legs terminating in squared scrolls and all joined by a base stretcher

Acquired at an English country auction.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 9th October 2007, lot 1330.

There is a 5cm crack to the base stretcher. Scratching and flaking to detail throughout. Possible consolidation of the joins and stabilisation of age cracks. Overall good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Expertly carved with an ornate design of scrolling acanthus leaves and a ruyi band, this zitan table is an exceptional example of work from the Qianlong period, displaying European influences in its style and production. Furniture of this high quality was most likely created in the workshops of Suzhou or Beijing. Hu Desheng in A Treasury of Ming and Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture, vol. 1, Beijing, 2008, pp 38-40, discusses the Suzhou-style (Sushi) and the Beijing-style (Jingshi) of furniture production, nothing that the former was renowned for its beautiful forms, elegant lines, lucid construction, balanced proportions and intricate decoration, while the latter represented imperial furnishings made by artisans from Guangzhou working in the capital.

While the imitation of Chinese styles, known as Chinoiserie, was popular at the courts in Europe during this period, there was also a vogue at the Chinese court for fine works in European style. During the mid-18th century, European Jesuit artists were employed at the court to redesign the imperial palaces. The resulting building combined a mix of Italian Rococo, French rocaille, and Chinese or Mughal-inspired foliate and floral designs as seen on the present table. According to Tian Jiaqing in ‘Zitan and Zitan Furniture’, Chinese Furniture. Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-1999, Hong Kong, 1999, pp 195-96, there are two main styles of zitan furniture: the smooth and scarcely-embellished Ming style, and the elaborate Rococo-inspired style of the Qing. Both styles were worked to the highest standards, from the joinery to the carving and polishing of the material. This table was most likely produced during the height of the Chinese court’s fascination with the European styles, as exemplified by the very similar motifs found in the architectural members of the European palaces built by the Qianlong emperor at Yuanming yuan, which the Chinese artist here has superbly translated into the classic and highly prized zitan.

While no other similar table appears to be recorded, the present table is reminiscent of a zitan table of rectangular section, carved in low relief with lotus and acanthus scrolls and the legs terminating with a similar geometric scroll and fitted with a slightly wider stretcher, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties II, Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 91. Compare also a long low rectangular zitan table, fitted with a stretcher and the apron carved with foliate flowering scrolls, illustrated in The 200 Objects You Should Know. Red Sandalwood Furniture, Beijing, 2008, pl. 130; a pair of zitan and hongmu altar tables carved with lush blossoms of foliate peony, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2013, lot 3083; and a pair of zitan demilune tables (yueyazhuo), illustrated in Hu Desheng, op. cit., pls 174 and 175.