A 17th to 18th Century Chinese Huanghuali Corner-Leg Table(Banzhuo)
十七至十八世纪中国黄花梨木束腰雕螭虎龙纹马蹄足半桌
This table is of the zhuo type, meaning that its legs are set at the corners of the table-top, rather than being inset, as seen in the qiaotou'an also in this catalogue. This kind of furniture was very common in elite Ming and Qing dynasty homes, where it was used as an occasional table in the bedroom or as a type of sideboard for the display of ornaments or flowers in a hallway. Regardless of the uses to which it was put, this is a table intended primarily for decorative purposes, rather than for day-to-day functionality, as is clear from its beautiful, delicate construction. The strong uprights and horizontals of the legs and table-top are softened by the decorative carving of the apron, humpbacked stretchers and a€?horse-hoofa€? feet, making this a fine example of the Ming furniture tradition.
This table would likely have been made for the home of a wealthy person, as evidenced by its construction from huanghuali, the tropical hardwood beloved by the Ming and Qing emperors. Indeed, the wood's name contains the word huang, which refers to its yellow colour but is also a homophone for a different word huang, meaning emperor. The dragons carved on this table are also an indication of rank and status; traditionally, items decorated with dragons were the prerogative of the royal familya€”and even then, only the emperor himself was allowed to use the image of a five-toed dragon, his immediate family having to content themselves with the less prestigious four-toed variety.
此黄花梨半桌是家具专家学者们所推崇的经典明式家具，木材色泽沉着，纹理优美，加之精湛卓越的工艺充分体现了明代的文化特征，科学合理的榫卯构造是明式家具结构体系的精粹。桌面为标准的黄花梨独板设计，简洁明快而大气，冰盘沿下接束腰与沿边起阳线牙板之上铲地雕饰两条生动的螭虎飞龙，这是悠久的中国传统与吉祥的寓意。壸门牙条作肩以抱肩榫与腿足结合，腿足上端以双榫纳入桌面边框底部，下展至底收以形状美好的马蹄足，峻峭挺拔。如此状态完好的半桌实属少见，在极具收藏价值的同时，它的简洁大气也可以完美搭配现代室内装饰的风格，在明代半桌中无愧为经典之作
H850 L1030 D505mm
参阅：2011.5.21 中国嘉德《侣明室藏明式家具》lot 3344, 成交价：人民币 2,200,000 (NZ$ 480,000)
