A RARE SQUARE-MEMBER 'HUANGHUALI' RECESSED-LEG TABLE (PINGTOUAN) 17TH CENTURY |

the well figured single board, tongue-and-grooved, floating panel set into a solid straight-edge frame of standard miter, mortise and tenon construction with exposed tenons on either short side, supported underneath by five dovetailed transverse stretchers, the elegantly splayed rectangular legs cut to house the plain straight apron and right-angled spandrels and joined by two square-section stretchers

Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong.
American Private Collection, 1998.

The table is in generally good condition. One leg has a spliced on patch repair from the foot approximately 1/3 up the leg. There is characteristic wear (particularly to the feet), some staining to the top panels, expected consolidation to the joinery, minor repairs and possible replacements, all consistent with age and use. Please note that this lot will require a CITES permit for export outside of the United States.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Drawing inspiration from ancient Chinese architecture, the elegance of this classical table is evident in its enduring popularity without changes made other than variations in dimensions to suit the household. Tables of this remarkably versatile form and size were designed as surfaces on which to display cherished antiquities and artifacts, view scroll paintings, practice calligraphy, painting or perhaps for playing the qin. The present table is an exceptionally rare example of its type; its clean, modern outline resulting from its straight-edged rectilinear members. Square elements are a feature that appears in the 17th century during the transitional period between the Ming and Qing dynasty reflecting the artistic freedom and innovation that often accompanies times of social and political upheaval when old protocols are put to the test and new influences capture the collective imagination. Trim, smooth-surfaced, square slender members are typically seen on corner-leg tables, for examples of this type see one in Qing Court Collection illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong 2002, pl. 90 and another in Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1990, pl. B78.  The height, depth and absence of high stretchers of the present form would allow a scholar-artist ample space and the ability to stand or sit to use the surface for multiple tasks. Completely plain, this simple form with pure lines and clean angles is what first drew the attention of 20th century furniture historians and connoisseurs. The design is now considered quintessentially iconic. The present example of near perfect proportions, made in attractively warm brown and amber tones, with a lively–grained single-panel top, is an example of the best of classic late Ming/early Qing dynasty furniture.

For a closely related table with similarly plain decoration and rectangular legs but molded-edge frame, see Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1990, pl. B115. Other tables of similar dimensions and form but with rounded members include one from Grace Wu Bruce sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 6th April 2016, lot 113 and a painting table illustrated in Grace Wu Bruce, Dreams of Chu Tan Chamber and the Romance with Huanghuali Wood, The Dr. S. Y. Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture, Hong Kong, 1991, cat. no. 22, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 7th October 2015, lot 130. Another similar example with rounded members, described as a painting table, from the collection of Robert H. Ellsworth sold at Christie’s New York, 18th March 2015, lot 122 and a two-board top-panel painting table from the same collection with grooved rectangular legs and square-section stretchers sold at Christie’s New York, 17th March 2015, lot 42.