A RARE PAIR OF EXQUISITELY CARVED ZITAN AND HONGMU 'PEONY' RECESSED-LEG ALTAR TABLES QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

the panelled top with indented edges composed of two zitan boards set within a frame of mortise-and-tenon construction secured with tranverse stretchers and coffered in hongmu on the underside, supported on an exquisitely carved apron of hongmu depicting lush blossoms of foliate peony in varying relief borne on gnarled branches forming the undulating edges and continuing on the rounded sprandels, the paired recessed zitan legs of square section with indented edges, joint by a stretcher and humped shoe feet set with inner frames similarly carved with foliate peony blossoms and opening buds

Property from the Estate of Elinor Majors Carlisle, San Francisco.

There are some expected wear and light surface scratches to the surface of both tables. An approx 14 by 5cm carved section at the bottom left of one spandrel flanking one stretcher feet on one of the table's longer end apron is cracked and has been reaffixed. Some of the legs have morteses which have been filled in indicating that these could be re-used timbers coming from other contemporary pieces of furniture as it was customary to do with rare and expensive woods. The underside of each table has a hongmu board possibly later added to cover up the underside of the zitan boards. There is an old small repaired patch on the underside in the center of one apron (approx 7 x 5.2 cm). There are some further occasional minor repair patches at the joints showing under the aprons, but overall the condition of both tables is very good. The patina of the tables is warm and smooth. Their actual colour is consistent with the catalogue illustration if not slightly warmer and more vivid.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The exceptional skills of the Chinese furniture makers and wood carvers, active during the early Qing dynasty, is displayed in this impressive pair of altar tables with recessed legs. The use of the rare and exotic zitan wood and the elaborate and deep carving of the apron, depicting lush peony blossoms and branches, make these tables special and rare. Furniture of this high quality was likely either created in the workshops of Suzhou or Beijing. Hu Desheng in A Treasury of Ming and Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture, vol. 1, Beijing, 2008, pp. 38-40, discusses the Suzhou-style (Sushi) and the Beijing-style (Jingshi) furniture production, noting that the former was renowned for its beautiful forms, elegant lines, lucid construction, balanced proportions and intricate decoration, while the latter represented imperial furnishings made by artisans from Guangzhou working in the capital. 

The extreme rarity of zitan wood is worth noting. With its smooth and silk-like texture, fine and dense grain and strikingly deep lustre, zitan wood has long been the most prized timber type for furniture makers in China. Its natural lustre, called baojiangliang in Chinese, develops with use and is impossible to reproduce artificially. Its long growth period and limited availability in China made it especially valuable and by the Qing dynasty measures were taken for its protection.

The carving of the peony scroll motif on the present tables appears to have been inspired and is closely comparable with designs found on Ming and Qing period lacquer wares. For example, see a red-lacquer table, attributed to the early Ming dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo qiqi quanji, vol. 5, Fujian, 1995, pl. 30; and a large dish with the peony and bird design, published in Wang Shixiang, Ancient Chinese Lacquerware, Beijing, 1987, pl. 51.

While no other similar table appears to be recorded, the present pair are reminiscent of a table in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Two Hundred Pieces You Should Know. Red Sandalwood Furniture, Beijing, 2008, pl. 77, and also in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 135, fashioned in zitan wood and with related legs of square section terminating in hoof feet.  Although the apron on the Palace Museum table is decorated with bats and clouds, the carving style, in luxurious and rich deep relief, is similar to that seen here.  Compare also a large zitan square table, attributed to the Qianlong period, its apron carved with a dense acanthus leaf scroll that continues onto the square section legs sold in these rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1330, and its companion piece, in the Art Institute of Chicago, illustrated in Lark Mason, ‘Examples of Ming Furniture in American Collections Formed Prior to 1980’, Orientations, January, 1992, fig. 9. Related floral scroll decoration may be found on another table, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, included The Two Hundred Pieces You Should Know. Red Sandalwood Furniture, op.cit., pl. 131.

For examples of tables of this type, but with simpler decoration, see a hongmu altar table, sold in our New York rooms, 25th September 1986, lot 536; and a huanghuali table with an apron carved with gourds and meandering leafy vines, sold at Christie’s London, 10th May 2011, lot 205.