明 黑漆香几

the rectangular top with raised molded 'drip edge' over a recessed high waist with pierced and beaded taohuan panels above an acutely flared double-ruyi apron with beaded, cusped and barbed edge, all supported on four slender cabriole legs with upturned feet on a conforming base with a shaped apron on four scroll feet

The lacquer surface has extensive crackling, lifting and areas of loss which has been consolidated and stabilized. The underside of the table has been refinished. Breaks across all four legs have been repaired. There is a chip to the inside of one foot and to the tip of one of the base aprons.
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.

The archaistic form, the elongated openwork ornamental panels and the dramatic sweep of the everted apron counterbalanced by the exaggerated S-form of the cabriole legs are all features associated with the famous lacquerwork of Shanxi province. Curtis Evarts, "New Directions in Chinese Furniture Connoisseurship: Early Traditional Furniture", Orientations, vol. 31, no. 1, January 2000, p. 54, fig. 7 illustrates a similar example to the present form from the collection of C.L. Ma, Beijing, commenting that the archaistic profile can be found in Jin dynasty brick carvings excavated in Shanxi and Yuan dynasty wood-block print illustrations. He also remarks on the graceful lines and that the muted black lacquer finish, highlighted with red is typical of work produced in the late Ming dynasty. The same stand is illustrated and further discussed in Curtis Evarts, C.L. Ma Collection: Traditional Chinese Furniture from the Greater Shanxi Region, Hong Kong, 1999, cat. no. 97.