A Pair of Huanghuali Sloping-Stile Cabinets, Yuanjiaogui Qing Dynasty, 18th Century

each with panelled rectangular top and round corner posts enclosing the pair of doors opening from the central stile, all above the plain narrow apron and short legs, baitong fittings, the interior with a shelf containing two drawers

Purchased from Hei Hung-Lu, Hong Kong, late 1980s/early 1990s.

The pair of cabinets are in good condition with the exception of replaced metalwork, one cabinet with possibly replaced front top rail, centre post and a patch to the top of the left door frame, the other cabinet with a small patch to the top rear right corner, and both with minor surface scratches and wear commensurate with age.
"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."

Cabinets of this form, with their clean elegant lines and adaptable size and useage, are one of the most popular and enduring types of cabinets in Chinese furniture. The minimal decoration and raised borders of the cabinet doors appear to frame the panels of wood to draw attention to its natural beauty, in both grain and coloration. According to Sarah Handler in Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley, 2001, p. 254, these cabinets would have been used for storing a variety of objects including archaic bronzes, jades and small utensils, as well books and clothes.

A pair of huanghuali cabinets of this type, but of slightly smaller size, was sold in our New York rooms, 25^th April 1987, lot 557; another, but made of huanghuali, burl and hardwood, from the Arthur M Sackler Trust, was sold in our New York rooms, 16^th September 2009, lot 6; and a pair of huanghuali and qiumu cabinets, formerly from the collection of Commissioner-General and Mme. Hoppenot, was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28^th November 2012, lot 2017.