A LONG HUANGHUALI AND HUAMU RECESSED-LEG TABLE, PINGTOUAN LATE MING / EARLY QING DYNASTY

the top of mitre, mortise and tennoned frame construction with a huamu single-board, tongue-and-grooved, flush, floating panel supported by six dovetailed transverse stretchers, the edge of the frame moulding inward from about halfway down and ending in a beaded edge, the splayed rectangular legs highlighted by a gently grooved wide band in the centre and edged with butterflied corners, the legs double tennoned to the frame top and cut to house the intricately worked stylised 'phoenix' apron finished with a raised grooved band, each pair of legs conjoined on the shorter sides with an openwork panel similarly carved with a pair of confronting stylised phoenix

Grace Wu Bruce, Dreams of Chu Tan Chamber and the Romance with Huanghuali Wood: The Dr. S. Y. Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture, Art Museum, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1991, cat. no. 23, pp. 68-71.
The Chinese Collections, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, 1997-99, pl. 114.
Grace Wu Bruce, Grace Wu Bruce presents a choice selection of Ming Furniture from the Dr S Y Yip collections, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, 2012, pp. 16-17.

General surface wear and insignificant bruises to the fragile extremities as expected of Ming furniture preserved over the centuries in a domestic setting. Flaking to the interior and minor consolidation to the spandrels including the back left and the front right.
"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 phoenixes are mesmerizing, and the legs with beautiful mouldings. The lacquer under-coating – original and 300 years old. The lacquer connoisseur Sammy Y Lee of Tokyo and Los Angeles was also mesmerized. When he was 100 years old, he crawled underneath the table to examine it together with his son for 20 minutes and declared it a winner!"

This is an exquisite variation of the standard design illustrated in lot 128. Where there are normally plain mitred spandrels, beautifully rendered stylised phoenixes in openwork carving take their place. In addition, the stretchers between the legs, normally plain, round or oval in section, are also replaced by ones with stylised phoenixes, exquisitely carved in openwork. This feature is unique amongst published examples to-date.

There are no known published example similar to the present piece although there are pieces with carved spandrels of different motifs. In addition, the exquisite stylised phoenix openwork panels between the legs is a unique feature in surviving examples.