A superb pair of carved zitan square corner-leg tables Qing dynasty, late 18th - 19th century | 清十八世紀末至十九世紀 紫檀雕花草紋八仙桌一對

Collection of Y.C. Chen (1922-2012).

Christie's Hong Kong, 29th May 2013, lot 1953.

陳玉階收藏（1922-2012年）

香港佳士得2013年5月29日，編號1953

Masterfully executed using the highly prized material of zitan (red sandalwood), these tables are exceptionally impressive for harmoniously combining European design elements with a Chinese form. Square tables such as the present pair are in China coined with the graceful term 'Eight Immortals Tables' (baxian zhuo) and typically represent the central pieces of furniture in a hall or room where dining and social gatherings take place. The present lot, with its excellent quality of carving on the waists, aprons and spandrels, is rare for having been preserved as a pair.

Thanks to the growing global trade and increased visits by Jesuit missionaries, cultural exchanges between China and Europe became much more frequent since the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644). European designs, such as the scrolling foliage as seen on the present pair of tables, were gradually incorporated into the decorative repertoire of works of art in China. The Qing Emperors Yongzheng (r. 1723-35) and Qianlong (r. 1736-95) were particularly fascinated by these exotic decorative arts introduced to the imperial court. It was then, during the 18th century, when the reception of European art led to elaborate projects such as the European buildings in the Yuanmingyuan complex in Beijing, whose furniture was specially commissioned to form a harmonious blend with the Western-style architecture. The archives of the Qing palace workshops show that some 'Western' designs were co-created by European and Chinese artists at the court, including the Italian Jesuit painter Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) (see Tian Jiaqing, 'The Art of Decorative Carving on Qing Dynasty Furniture', Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-1999, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 219). Western-style furniture continued to enjoy popularity after the reign of Qianlong.

Ornaments of this type can be found on several pieces of furniture preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing. Compare, for example, two zitan long tables; one with its waist, aprons and legs carved in relief with European-style floral and foliage designs; and the other from the Qing Court collection, embellished with aprons featuring openwork with scroll patterns in Western style, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 119.

Perhaps the most highly esteemed timber at the Ming and Qing courts, zitan is exceptional for its colour and lustre, which, after long exposure, develops a subtle, appealing, natural purplish-black shine. It is an extremely dense and durable wood and the fine texture of the grain is particularly suitable for intricate carving. Because of the long growth period of the trees, it became a scarce material by the Qing dynasty, so that large objects made of zitan were especially rare and expensive. It was primarily reserved for imperial use and, according to Yangxindian zaobanchu ge zuo cheng zuo huoji qingdang / The Qing Archives of the Imperial Workshops at Yangxin Hall, its use was closely supervised by the Qianlong Emperor (see Tian Jiaqing, 'Zitan and Zitan Furniture', Chinese Furniture, op.cit., pp. 193-9).

See a closely related zitan square table, illustrated in Chenyang Cai, Zitan: The Most Noble Hardwood, Taipei, 1996, p. 82-3, sold twice at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th April 1995, lot 566A and 27th November 2007, lot 1673. Compare also two similarly carved zitan long tables; one illustrated in Tian Jiaqing, Zitan yuan / The Essence of Zitan, Beijing, 2007, pl. 4, p. 22-5; and the other sold in our New York rooms, 15th September 2010, lot 352.

此對方桌工藝精湛，用料奢華，取稀貴木材紫檀造就，融洋風紋飾於傳統制式，中西合璧。正方台面如此對者，雅稱「八仙桌」，多設於廳堂中央，以供宴飲、會友。此對八仙桌雕工卓絕，於束腰、牙子、牙頭等處可見，而完好成對，則更屬難得。

明末以來，環球貿易日趨頻繁，西洋傳教士屢屢來華，亞歐文化交流絡繹不絕。西洋紋飾漸次融入中國工藝品，此對所用卷草花葉紋便是其一。清雍（1723-35年在位）、乾二帝（1736-95年在位）尤愛洋風，宮中不乏西洋飾物。十八世紀，西風東漸，北京於圓明園中營造西洋建築，內陳家具皆為特製，以求契合西洋建築風貌。清宮造辦處檔案有載，若干西洋紋飾乃宮中西洋能工與中國巧匠合力創造，義大利傳教士兼宮廷畫師郎世寧（1688-1766年）亦在其列（參見田家青，〈The Art of Decorative Carving on Qing Dynasty Furniture〉，《Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-1999》，香港，1999年，頁219）。洋風既盛，乾隆以後續有延製。

家具作此類裝飾者可比數例，皆存故宮博物院，北京；如二紫檀長桌，其一，束腰類此，牙子及腿則作西洋花卉紋飾；另一，清宮舊藏，牙子透雕西式卷草紋，錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集・明清家具（下）》，香港，2002年，圖版119。

紫檀色澤出眾，經年累月，紫光更見烏潤，故受明清宮廷推崇備至。紫檀堅硬耐久，木紋秀朗，尤宜精雕細刻。因需多年培植方可成木，紫檀於清代已屬罕有，而大件紫檀器具更是千金難求。紫檀多留作皇家使用，據《養心殿造辦處各作成做活計清檔》所述，紫檀用度由乾隆躬親查察（參見田家青，〈Zitan and Zitan Furniture〉，前述出處，頁193-9）。

比較一紫檀八仙桌作例，收錄在蔡辰洋，《紫檀》，台北，1996年，頁82-3，經香港佳士得兩度易手，先後於1995年4月30日，編號566A，及2007年11月27日，編號1673。另比兩張紫檀長桌，雕紋相似，其一，錄於田家青，《紫檀緣》，北京，2007年，圖版4，頁22-5；其二，售於紐約蘇富比2010年9月15日，編號352。