A MAGNIFICENT CARVED ZITAN 'LANDSCAPE' COUCH-BED QING DYNASTY

magnificently carved, the wide seat of generous proportions formed from three planks set in a floating panel, framed by a three-panel stepped throne-back ornately carved in relief with a continuous landscape with pavilions and lodges by the riverside surrounded by rocky mountains, scarcely adorned with figures leisurely engaging in various activities, each panel enclosed by a faux bamboo border, the reverse painted in gilt with an additional continuous landscape with a series of lavish waterfront mansions amidst towering trees and lofty mountains, the side rails similarly decorated, each terminating in a small openwork panel depicting pine trees against a craggy mountain, the seat supporting a small rectangular stand carved with landscapes and bamboo-style feet, the seat frame similarly carved with bamboo accents, all above an apron further decorated with bamboo bordered landscape panels with trees and rocks, the corners of the apron wrapped with overlapping bamboo leaves, each solid round-section leg with ridges simulating bamboo, the wood of a deep chestnut tone, old brocaded cushions with bats amidst clouds against a blue background and floral scrolls against a yellow background

Yamanaka & Co.

Shina kobijutsu tenrankai [Exhibition of Chinese ancient arts], Yamanaka  & Co. and Osaka Art Club, Osaka, 1935, cat. no. 101.

Morisada Hosokawa, Bungu: Eisei Bunkō meihinsen [Stationery: Selected works from the Eisei Bunko Museum], Tokyo, 1978, cat. no. 83.

This magnificent couch bed has been preserved in extraordinarily good condition. Apart from minor cracks and bruises, the body of the bed is in good condition. There are age cracks and minor losses to the edges and small areas of the lacquer panels. Other minor surface wear.
"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."

Boldly carved with dramatic landscapes within frames fashioned to simulate bamboo trees, this grand couch-bed (luohanchuang) captures the dual role of furniture of the Qing dynasty: to provide both utilitarian and decorative functions. It is an impressive display of zitan furniture, the most precious and highly esteemed timber available to the master craftsmen working in the Muzuo (Wood Workshop) belonging to the Zaobanchu (Imperial Palace Workshop). With its jade-like silky texture, extremely fine and dense grain, subtle and deep lustre, zitan was the favoured timber of the Ming and Qing Courts. Due to the size of beds and the scarcity of the material, zitan couch-beds are particularly rare and were more commonly made of hardwood or huanghuali and with plain railings. The revered material, thickly-rendered proportions and vast landscapes suggest that this bed would have graced the studio of an important male member of the imperial family.

The studio (zhai) was one of the key rooms in a residence as it was where the scholar retreated to work; hence all objects and furnishings were carefully selected to administer to his needs. The vast landscapes and bamboo forms of this bed would have been appropriate for furnishing a studio as the scenes provided a form of escape from the duties of officialdom as well as serving as a means of inspiration for poems, paintings and meditations. Sarah Handler in Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley, 2001, p. 133, quotes the Ming scholar, Wen Zhenheng (1585-1645), who noted ‘there was no way in which they [couch-beds] were not convenient, whether for sitting up, lying down or reclining. In moments of pleasant relaxation they [gentleman scholars] would spread out classical or historical texts, examine works of calligraphy or painting, display ancient bronze vessels, dine or take a nap, as the furniture was suitable for all these things’. Thus according to Ming pictorial representations these beds were for informal moments, whereas chairs were the honorific means of formally receiving visitors.

Couch-beds are characterised by their railings which extend over three sides of the seat, and this form can be traced back as early as the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) when a related structure was used as a seat. Ingenious for its use as a couch during the day and a bed at night, the transformation from one to the other required minimal effort and could be enjoyed alone or in the company of a guest. Playing Double Sixes, a Yuan dynasty woodblock print illustration to Chen Yuanjin’s Compendium of a Forest of Affairs (Shilin guangji), depicts two men seated on a bed of related form while they enjoy a game of double sixes. The design of the bed was perfected in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) when the structural supports pictured in the print were able to be removed and careful attention was paid to the harmonious arrangement of the panels. The Qing dynasty vogue of embellishing structural frames with elaborately carved designs is evident in the wide apron of the present piece, which provides support to the heavy frame while heightening its decorative nature.  

Wang Shixiang in Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture. Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, vol. 1, Hong Kong, 1990, pp 77-78, notes that the most common railing on low-back beds is a three-panelled screen form with a large rear panel and smaller side panels; the next popular being the five-screen panel screen, with three panels at the rear and one at each side; followed by the seven-screen type with three panels at the back and two on each side. The seven-screen version, such as the present lot, was rare in the Ming dynasty but increased in popularity by the mid-Qing dynasty. Compare a hardwood and jichimu five-panel bed with zitian veneer, the panels carved with scenes of figures in landscapes, sold at Christie’s New York, 15th September 2009, lot 289; a three-panelled example, decorated in low relief with stylised chilong and lingzhi, published op. cit., vol. 2, pl. C7; and another huanghuali three-panel bed with pierced railings depicting phoenixes amongst floral scrolls, included in the exhibition Beyond the Screen: Chinese Furniture of the 16th and 17th Centuries, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1996, cat. no. 15.