A Nanmu Bed Ming Dynasty, 17th Century

boldly constructed with massive square-sectioned incurved legs terminating in hoofed feet, supporting a broad curved apron with a pronounced beaded border and a waist, the thick seat frame securing a long back rail with a humpback profile and two plain end rails, the wood of rich golden colour

Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: One Hundred Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection, New York, 1996, pp. 98-99, no. 29.

The overall condition is good. Due to natural softness of the wood , there are several patches of nicks, scratches as well some splitting; some with filled repairs. All joints have been consolidated and the bowed stretchers replaced. There is a filled mortise to the seat frame indicating that the boards may be associated.
"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 Chinese couch, or luohan chuang, is one of the most readily identifiable examples of Chinese furniture.  There are many variations of this basic form, but all share a few features: a cane seating surface; side and back panels; and legs that raise the frame off the floor. Couches were a standard part of a gentleman’s studio. There are a number of references to scholars spreading out books and artwork across the surface of a couch, such as examples cited by Sarah Handler in her article on the subject, ‘A Couch Bed for Day and Night for Comfort and Joy’ in Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley, 2001, pp. 122-138.  Another article that provides insight into how couches were used can be found in Wen Zhenheng’s work, Zhang Wu Zhi (Treatise on Superfluous Things) (translated in Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things: Material Culture and Social Status in Early Modern China, Honolulu, 2004, p. 42):

            "There was no way in which they were not convenient, whether for sitting up, lying down or reclining. In moments of pleasant relaxation they would spread out classic or historical texts, examine works of calligraphy or painting, display ancient bronze vessels, dine or take a nap, as the furniture was suitable for all these things."

Unlike chairs, which are portable, personal spaces for sitting, the couch is a stage for the sitter.  It faces forward, framing the sitter within a three-sided raised enclosure that demands attention. With this example, the bold, bowed legs are of extravagant size, raising the importance of the sitter.  The enclosure creates an intimate space, in which the sitter can gather around him favorite objects that are easily within grasp that are viewable only from the front and protected by the nearness of the sitter.

Compare a couch that was formerly in the collection of Charlotte Horstman, that is now in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City illustrated in Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch’ing Dynasties, New York, 1970, p. 145, pl. 36, as well as in Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, vol. II, Chicago, 1990, p. 128, pl. C6.

Wang Shixiang and Curtis Evarts also illustrate a zitan couch of similar design in Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chinese Art Foundation, San Francisco, 1995, pl. 7.