A HUANGHUALI BANZHUO SIDE TABLE LATE MING – EARLY QING DYNASTY

the top of standard mitre, mortise and tenon frame and flush, tongue-and-grooved, single-board floating-panel construction supported by three dovetailed transverse stretchers underneath, two with exposed tenons, the short rails of the frame top with further exposed tenons, the edge of the frame moulding downward and inward and ending in a banded edge, all resting on a recessed waist and beaded-edged straight apron, made of one piece of wood on two sides, mitred, mortised and tennoned into and half-lapped onto the legs, the legs double-lock tennoned to the mitred frame and terminating in well drawn hoof feet, hump-back shaped stretchers mortised and tennoned into the legs below the apron

In keeping with its use in a domestic setting there is expected wear and tear, minor bruises, especially at the tips of the legs, and age cracks as expected of late Ming/early Qing furniture, especially on the upper surface of the table. The points where one of the longer stretchers meets the legs have been strengthened. The underside retains its original patina.
"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."

This Ming Design, seen already in wall murals of the Jin and Yuan dynasties (1115-1368) is hailed by furniture historians as an all time classic.

Banzhuo, meaning half table, is called hexian in the south, a term that refers to them becoming an immortal’s table, that is a square table, when combined. In antiquity, they were placed adjacent to a square table to increase the number of people that can be seated round.

This finely crafted piece of choice timer, made during the golden period of Chinese furniture manufacture, is an all time classic.

For a very similar example in the Victoria and Albert Museum collection, see Craig Clunas, Chinese Furniture, Victoria and Albert Museum Far Eastern Series, London, 1988, p. 48. Another example is in the collection of the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts, Beijing, published in Chen Zengbi, Zhongyang Gongyi Meishu Xueyuan Yuancang: Zhenpin Tulu, dier ji, Mingshi Jiaju, (Central Academy of Arts and Crafts: Illustrations of collections, volume 2, Ming Furniture), Top-Notch Publication Co., Hong Kong, 1994, p. 35.