A huanghuali side table, pingtou'an Qing dynasty | 清 黃花梨夾頭榫平頭案

Chan Shing Kee, Hong Kong.

陳勝記，香港

Drawing inspiration from ancient Chinese wooden architecture, the enduring elegance of this classical table is evident in its constant popularity through the generations with no changes made other than variations in dimensions to suit the household. Tables of this form and of this size were designed as surfaces on which to paint, practise calligraphy or perhaps play the qin. The height, depth and absence of high stretchers would allow an artist adequate space and the ability to stand or sit and use the brush on a paper or silk surface. 

For other tables of this form, see Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1990, pl. B81 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 and sold in our Hong Kong rooms 7th October 2015, lot 130. See also another similar example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Craig Clunas, Chinese Furniture, Victoria and Albert Museum Far Eastern Series, London, 1988, p. 46.

典型平頭案設計源自古代中國建築大木樑架的造型與結構。平頭案屬經典造型，流行廣泛，除按房宅大小更改尺寸之外，造型基本不變。如斯造型，尺寸相當之案可用作繪畫、書法或彈琴。其高而寬，且不帶踏腳棖，予以用者大量空間自由站立或坐下而作畫書寫。

造型相若之類例，可見於王世襄《中國傢具賞鑒—明代與清代早期》，香港，1990年，圖版B81。尚有一畫案例，錄於伍嘉恩，《楮檀室夢旅：攻玉山房藏明式黃花梨家具》，香港中文大學文物館，香港，1991年，編號22，後售於香港蘇富比2015年10月7日，編號130。另可參照英國維多利亞與艾爾伯特博物館藏一例，收錄於柯律格，〈英國維多利亞與艾爾伯特博物館．東亞系列．中國家具〉，倫敦，1988年，頁46。