A Huanghuali Corner Leg Table, Zhuo Qing Dynasty, 18th Century

the framed top supported on beaded square-section legs terminating in hoof feet, joined by humpback stretchers set with cusped vertical struts

Purchased from Hei Hung-Lu, Hong Kong, late 1980s/early 1990s.

The corner leg table is in very good condition with the exception of small infills to the top of one leg and the inside edge, small patches to the spandrels on either side of the same leg, small circular patches to the legs around the joins with the stretcher and minor surface scratches and wear commensurate with age.
"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."

The present table is a fine example of simianping or ‘four corner’s flush’ construction with legs set flush against the table top and openwork spandrels to add stability and strength. This sombre design, considered one of the most attractive in Chinese furniture, is believed to derive from box-like platforms often depicted in paintings from the Tang dynasty (618-906), where they were used as tables, seats and beds; for example see the high platform with low stretchers, painted on the wall of cave 112 in Dunhuang, illustrated in Sarah Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkley, 2001, pl. 8.7.

Rectangular waistless tables of this type are more commonly known with humpback stretchers, such as one illustrated in Grace Wu Bruce, Ming Furniture, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 3, and sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28^th November 2012, lot 2040; another illustrated in Grace Wu Bruce, Living with Ming. The Lu Ming Shi Collection, Hong Kong, 2000, pl. 23; two tables sold at Christie’s New York, the first, from the collection of Mr and Mrs Robert P. Piccus, 21^st September 2000, lot 35, and the second from the collection of William Lipton, 17^th September 2008, lot 153; and a slightly smaller example attributed to the 17^th century, sold in our New York rooms, 9^th/10^th October 1987, lot 429. Compare also a huanghuali waistless table of this type but lacking the stretchers, illustrated in Gustav Ecke, Chinese Domestic Furniture, Rutland, 1962, pl. 15.