A HUANGHUALI LUTE TABLE LATE MING DYNASTY

the top of standard mitre, mortise and tenon construction with a flush, two-board floating panel tongue-and-grooved into the mitred frame, supported by three dovetailed transverse braces, the short sides of the top with exposed tenons, the frame moulding downward from about halfway down and ending in a beaded edge, the beaded-edged apron with ruyi-shaped spandrels and butt-joined to the underside of the table and tongue-and grooved to the legs, the legs rounded on the outside, squared on the inside and double-tennoned to the top, four square-section S-shaped braces mortise-and-tennoned into the legs and half-lapped and wood-pinned onto the transverse brace on either end of the table for further support

Selected Treasures of Chinese Art: Min Chiu Society Thirtieth Anniversary Exhibition, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1990-91, cat. no. 263, pp. 506-507.
Grace Wu Bruce, Dreams of Chu Tan Chamber and the Romance with Huanghuali Wood: The Dr. S. Y. Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture, Art Museum, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1991, cat. no. 20, pp. 62-63.
The Chinese Collections, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, 1997-99.
Museum Für Ostasiatische Kunst, Berlin, 2000-02.
Grace Wu Bruce, Grace Wu Bruce presents a choice selection of Ming Furniture from the Dr. S. Y. Yip collections, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, 2012, pp. 32-33.

Yip Shing Yiu, 'Collecting Ming Furniture of Huang Hua-Li Wood', Arts of Asia, May-June 1991, p. 121, fig. 11.

There is expected shrinkage leaving line gaps to the surface of the table. As visible in the catalogue photo, there is typical surface wear and bruising to the fragile extremities, as expected through its use in a domestic setting over the centuries minor, especially the front two legs. There is typical flaking and wear to the underside.
"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."

"A must for a guqin lover. S shaped braces make such a different status to a table."

Lute tables are recorded in both the Wanli (1573-1620) edition of Lu Ban jing jiang jia jing [The Classic of Lu Ban and the Craftsman's Mirror] and Gegu yaolun [The Essential Criteria for Antiquities] of 1388 as a type of table of a certain size intended for one to play the lute upon. However, it is not certain whether these tables were used exclusively for this purpose. This table of special design has an apron with attractive ruyi-shaped spandrels and curved S-shaped braces. The latter is a unique feature in Chinese furniture of this period.