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ƒ CHINA, 17th-18th century Important huanghuali table mirror…
See original version (French)
233
-
ƒ CHINA, 17th-18th century Important huanghuali table mirror…
See original version (French)
Estimate €10,000 - €15,000
Voluntary lot
Description
ƒ CHINA, 17th-18th century
Important huanghuali table mirror holder, jingtai, in the form of a throne.
The curved back finished with dragon head ends, surmounting openwork panels divided into five registers. The central panel, richly carved in relief and openwork, depicts a dragon descending through the clouds above a carp crossing the water beneath a door inscribed with the Yumen characters. The side panels are adorned with phoenixes surrounded by peonies and floral foliage, a decoration that is repeated on the outer panels. The sloping side jambs also end in dragon heads and rise above two openwork panels carved with facing chilong. The front opens to reveal five drawers decorated with foliage above scrolled spandrels also carved with plant motifs. The whole rests on short curved legs ending in scrolls.
Height: 67 cm
Length: 55.5 cm
Width: 34 cm
Comparative: For a comparable piece, see an earlier example in the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, published by C. Evarts, "The Classic of Lu Ban and Classical Chinese Furniture", JCCFS, Winter 1993, p. 41, fig. 19, then by Wang Shixiang and Curtis Evarts in Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, p. 148, no. 70. See also a very similar example sold at Christie's, 21 March 2014, lot 2289.
Mirror stands of this type, inspired by table screens with fixed panels, were intended for women's dressing tables. The mirror, which is now missing, was placed against the central panel and held in place by a removable carved U-shaped piece. The drawers were used to store accessories and toiletries. The animal decoration is particularly symbolic: the central panel illustrates the legend of the carp crossing the Longmen rapids to transform into a dragon, an image associated with success in the imperial examinations. The side panels, adorned with phoenixes and peonies, evoke feminine virtues, harmony and prosperity.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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