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A RARE PAIR OF HUANGHUALI SIDE-TABLES WITH SHELF, ZHUO17th centuryEach of rectangular form, comprising one shelf and a top supported by four upright members, constructed with tongue-and-grooved floating panels and mitred joints, the lower shelf supported by curved braces; one table with a two-character mark Di You meaning 'bottom right'. 90cm (35 1/2in) wide x 55.5cm (21 6/8in) high x 54cm (21 2/8in) deep. (2).Footnotes:十七世紀 黃花梨带屉板邊桌成對Provenance: Jean-Pierre Dubosc (1903-1988)An important European private collectionPublished and Illustrated (one of the pair): G.N.Kates, Chinese Household Furniture, New York, 1948, no.49.來源：法國藏家杜伯秋（1903-1988年）舊藏歐洲重要私人收藏出版著錄（其一）：G.N.Kates，《Chinese Household Furniture》，紐約，1948年，圖版編號49Jean-Pierre Dubosc was a French connoisseur of Chinese art, a diplomat stationed in China during the 1930s-1940s, and son-in-law of the renowned Chinese art dealer C. T. Loo. Dubosc promoted Ming and Qing literati painting by organising exhibitions and selling works to Western museums.Of elegant proportions and form, the present tables would most likely have been used as side tables in a scholar's studio to support art objects of considerable weight, such as a scholar's rock, an incense burner or a table screen. The origin of side tables fitted with a shelf is unknown. However, the 'Portrait of Wang Xizhi', a painting dating to the Song dynasty (960-1279) depicts the central figure seated next to a side table similar to the present example, set with scholarly objects. This painting almost certainly inspired an 18th century portrait depicting the Qianlong Emperor appreciating antiquities, depicted in a very similar guise as the Song counterpart, beside a rectangular side table fitted with a shelf displaying an archaic bronze vessel and a table screen; see Chu-Pak Lau, Classical Chinese Furniture from the Haven Collection, Hong Kong, 2016, p.208. Giant's-arm braces, a feature introduced during the Ming dynasty, provided additional support on the underside of the table. Their use eliminated the need for the more commonly seen 'humpback' stretchers. The strength of this joint allows the table to be supported without stretchers, thereby creating a lighter and more elegant form. This device may have originated during the Warring States period (475-221 BC) to fasten bronze fittings; see Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, vol.1, Hong Kong, 1990, pp.121-122. Compare with a related pair of corner-leg tables with shelf, mid 17th/18th century, illustrated by Chu-Pak Lau, Classical Chinese Furniture from the Haven Collection, Hong Kong, 2016, p.209, no.49.杜伯秋全名尚-皮耶·杜伯秋，自大學時研習亞洲文化，後娶古董商盧芹齋的小女兒為妻。二十世紀三、四十年代，杜伯秋於北京作為外交人員就職於法國大使館；後致力於中國明清文人書畫的研究與收藏，參與策劃了一系列重要展覽，並協助諸多西方博物館機構收集中國書畫。邊桌主體粽角榫四面平式，桌面攢邊框鑲面心板。方腿直落地面，腿間加設橫棖，棖子裡口打槽裝屜板，形成隔層，以增加使用空間。除屜板下安花形角牙外，通身光素整潔，樸實無華。其一刻有「地右」二字，或為方位標記。此類帶屜板的邊桌傳世不多，原型已不可考。台北國立故宮博物院館藏一幅《宋人人物圖》，畫中士人坐於榻上，注目凝思，榻旁擺放邊桌數只，皆施四面腿間橫棖，陳設琴棋書畫、趣事雅玩。據學者考證，本幅畫作或為東晉王羲之《臨鏡自寫真圖》之宋代摹本，後經宋徽宗、高宗、清高宗等帝王收藏；清高宗乾隆皇帝很欣賞此類新穎別緻的構圖，諭令宮廷畫家共創作了五幅相似之作，將宋人冊頁中的文士換成了他的頭像，現藏於北京故宮博物院之《乾隆皇帝是一是二圖軸》是為一例。畫卷中的家具排布雖似《宋人人物圖》之構圖，但陳設種類已大不相同，各式香几桌案，雕飾頗繁；惟左側保留一件邊桌，腿間加裝屜板，形如本例。上層陳設青銅禮器及嵌玉硯屏，擱板用來放置書卷，可謂此類邊桌用途&... This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP YTP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
