A 'Huanghuali' 'Kang' Table (Kangzhuo) Ming Dynasty, 17th Century

the rectangular top with raised lip and molded edge over an arched and scrolled apron carved in low-relief with opposing qilong, the beaded interior edge continuing to the cabriole legs terminating in 'pearl and leaf' on pad feet, the wood of a warm golden-brown

Sotheby's New York, 7th November 1981, lot 293.
Thereafter with the present owners.

One long apron with triangular repair approx. 9 inches in length, interior of another apron with 2 by 1 inch patch, one short apron with pieced repairs to edges of waist scattered chipping to beaded edges, leg and apron joints with pin reinforcements, one corner with repaired break to top and waist, patch to inside corner of one foot, 4 inch wide replaced board to top, one stretcher to underside repaired, stretchers probably of a later date
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 present table is notable for the elegance of form and ornament juxtaposed with the simplicity of the uncarved ground, accentuating the natural beauty of the wood. Compare a kang table with similar legs and of similar form, with pierced apron returns and no qilong, illustrated in Sarah Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley and Los Angeles, California, 2001, fig. 11.14, p. 172. Compare also a table with more elaborate but also more angular carving, illustrated in Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture, New York, 1970, no. 39, p 147. Qilong motifs, such as those on the present table, were used on many types of Ming furniture, including cabinets, chairs and tables such as the present example. For another kang table incorporating qilong motifs, see Wang Shixiang, Connoiseurship of Chinese Furniture, Vol. II, Hong Kong, 1990, no. B13, p. 68. Compare also a kang table, attributed to the late 16th/early 17th century, with a plainer apron and similar foot, sold at Christie's New York 19th September 1996, lot 45.