A LARGE HUANGHUALI AND DALISHI MARBLE TABLE SCREEN LATE MING DYNASTY

beautifully modelled, the two base supports edged with drum-shaped and deep curvilinear aprons on each side, flanking a pair of openwork panels inset below a well-figured dalishi marble evoking mountains and clouds

In Pursuit of Antiquities: Thirty-fifth Anniversary Exhibition of the Min Chiu Society, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1995-96, cat. no. 275, p. 304.
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 1997-2001.
Grace Wu Bruce, Chan Chair and Qin Bench: The Dr. S. Y. Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture II, Art Museum, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1998, cat. no. 48, pp. 154-155.

Grace Wu Bruce, Two Decades of Ming Furniture, Beijing, 2010, p. 267.
Grace Wu Bruce, Ming Furniture Through My Eyes, Beijing, 2015, p. 273.

There is typical surface wear and bruising to the fragile extremities, as expected through its use in a domestic setting over the centuries. As visible in the catalogue photo, there are bruises to the bottom right and a crack to top left corner and the lower right of the marble.
"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."

"Table screens are often distinguished by the classic marble landscape painting mounted on a well-made base. Of classic literati taste."

Table screens are contracted versions of large floor screens, and their method of construction is often identical to their larger counterparts. Table screens are divided into two groups: those with removable panels; and those of which the panel is fixed to the base. This piece is of the latter, a smaller version of the large floor screens often depicted in woodblock illustrations to Ming publications. A very similar table screen with inset dalishi marble is illustrated in the 17th century novel Jing ping mei [The Plum in the Golden Vase, or the Golden Lotus].