A very rare huanghuali painting table, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period | 清康熙 黃花梨束腰拐子龍紋畫桌

R.H. Ellsworth Ltd, New York, 12th June 1982.

安思遠，紐約，1982年6月12日

This table is exceptional in many respects and no related piece appears to be recorded. Rectangular tables of these broad proportions are unusual and the intriguing carving on the apron of the present piece is extremely rare. The sensitive decoration of two confronting kui dragons of stylised form with sinuous bodies almost completely dissolved into abstract scrollwork lends this table a strikingly elegant presence. Drawing from Chinese traditional iconography, the archaistic kui dragons grant a sense of opulence. The table legs, shaped to an articulated profile and continuing the angular scrollwork, are also not commonly found on contemporary pieces.

Painting tables are distinguished by their generous length and depth, the absence of drawers, as well as their simple decorations beneath the tabletops, creating ample space for free, unimpeded movement for painting, writing or reading. Tables of this type were the most important piece of furniture in the scholar’s studio. The renowned Chinese furniture scholar Wang Shixiang discusses the form of these tables in his publication Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, Hong Kong, 1990, vol. 1, p. 68 and notes that “the popular arrangement for all tables was with one end against a window where abundant natural light made writing, painting or reading a more pleasant exercise. In this position, the opposite side could also be used by an assistant to hold the sheet of paper or for some other purpose. It was also common to place these tables in a room, away from walls, with or without chairs.” Such tables are often depicted in contemporary paintings and woodblock-printed books, as in an illustration in Guzhang Juechen [Fantastic tales of society] published in the Chongzhen period (1628-44), as illustrated in Grace Wu, The Best of the Best. The MQJ Collection of Ming Furniture, vol. 1, Beijing, 2017, p. 134, which depicts a lady sitting on a stool and leaning on a large painting table to read a letter, with a vase and a few other decorative objects placed on the opposite end.

With its beautifully vibrant colour and highly figured grain, huanghuali wood was reserved for high-quality furniture since the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Craftsmen made use of the special features of the timber by creating furniture with smooth, plain surfaces and restrained adornment to celebrate the natural beauty of the distinctive grain. The wood continued to be treasured by the imperial court and the upper classes during the Qing period (1644-1911) and was used extensively to produce sophisticated furniture such as the present piece.

此案之寬綽比例與精緻的牙條雕紋極為罕見，群書無類例見載。牙子雕變形䕫龍，簡約抽象，洋溢清秀氣息，同顯富盛。腿上添飾方卷紋，內翻馬蹄狀似卷草，均與上方拐子龍相呼應，在同代例子中亦不常見。 

畫桌寬廣，牙條簡潔，不設抽屜，下方更為空敞，便於起坐揮筆，為文人雅士書齋必備。王世襄指此類寬長桌案，一般倚窗而置，光線明亮有利讀寫，也便於侍從在對面握紙提絹；另一種擺法則是室內居中，四周或設椅、或騰空（見《明式家具研究》，卷1，香港，1990年，頁68）。相類桌案屢見於同代繪畫及插圖，見崇禎 （1628-44年）刊本《鼓掌絕塵》，描繪女士坐凳上倚靠畫案讀信，末端擺放花瓶及陳設品，載於伍嘉恩，《木趣居：家具中的嘉具》，卷1，北京，2017年，頁134。

黃花梨色澤溫潤，紋理清晰細膩。自明朝（1368-1644年），工匠利用木材之獨特品質，製作光滑樸素的家具，以凸顯其自然美。入清（1644-1911年）以後，黃花梨受宮廷貴冑珍視，廣泛採用，家具設計更趨複雜，此例正是當中典範。