A 'HUANGHUALI' AND DALI-MARBLE TABLE SCREEN LATE MING – EARLY QING DYNASTY

the creamy-white marble figured with grey, beige and brown markings, inset in a wood frame carved with chihulong at the four corners, the base well carved with stylised lotus bud finials, openwork spandrels and a central panel of a pair of openwork lively dragons above a fluid curvilinear apron

Grace Wu Bruce, Feast by a wine table reclining on a couch: The Dr S. Y. Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture III, Art Museum, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2007, pp. 174-175.

Good overall condition with minor areas of consolidation including a 6 cm section to the reverse of the frame, and other small sections to the tips of the design on the lower apron. Other minor bruising and 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."

This table screen with inset Dalishi marble, evocative of a misty ink landscape, is constructed in a similar manner as the large scale screens that dominated a room in the interiors of the Ming dynasty.

A similar example in the Lu Ming Shi Collection is illustrated in Grace Wu Bruce, Ming furniture in the Forbidden City, Hong Kong, 2006, pp. 214-215.