A VERY RARE PAIR OF EMBELLISHED HARDWOOD CORNER-LEG SIDE TABLES, TIAOZHUO QING DYNASTY, 18TH – 19TH CENTURY

each with a well-figured rectangular top composed of two boards secured in a wide frame with three tranverse stretchers on the underside, above a recessed waist and a slightly rounded apron extending into four square legs joined by a 'twisted rope' stretcher, all supported on hoof feet, finely carved overall in low relief, the side rails with wan symbols, the waist with detached 'H'-shaped motifs detailed with key-fret, the apron with a band of pendent leaves above a lipped edge extending down the legs to form angular scrollwork on the feet, the hooves picked out with an upright acanthus, the top and apron further embellished at the corners with 'cloud'-shaped metal mounts detailed with different beribboned auspicious items, the stretcher inset with a central studded white jade bi-disc and further halved discs joined to the legs, flanked with lobed blue-ground cloisonné plaques decorated with multi-coloured lotus

A private American collection, New York, acquired before 1945.
Christie's Hong Kong, 1st June 2011, lot 3607.

The two tables are overall in good condition with expected wear and minor repairs to reinforce the joints or filled age cracks. First table: There are some repairs showing on the underside, mostly expected reinforcements at the joints. Some wood sections of the medallions of the rear twisted rope apron have detached and been reaffixed. One of the quatrefoil medallions enclosing a cloisonné plaque is chipped at the back on the top. There are some age cracks on the legs which have been filled in with wax. Otherwise the carvings and mounts are overall in good condition. There is a forked triangular chip at one end of the top's central plank which has been filled in with a small wood section and secured with wax. Second table: There are some repairs showing on the underside, mostly expected reinforcements at the joints. The table top has been secured to the frame with two metal bracket hooks which can be removed. Some sections of the medallions along the twisted rope aprons have detached and been reaffixed. There is some wear to the twisted rope aprons with light touch-up in areas, either at the joints or on the frame of the medallions. There are some age cracks to the legs which have been stabilized with wax, more pronounced on the front right legs which also has a shallow chip 5.5 x 1 cm to a corner edge on the interior. The actual color is somewhat consistent with the catalogue illustration if not a little bit brighter and of a warmer mahogany tone.
"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."

While Chinese furniture is generally appreciated for its elegant simplicity and clean silhouette, this pair of tables displays the aesthetic opulence sought after at the Qing court. In their form these tables uphold the qualities sacred to furniture craftsman, who strictly adhered to traditional principles and methods while creating a bold and original design through the jade and cloisonné enamel inlays and the precisely carved design on the waist and apron. Tian Jiaqing in Notable Features of Main Schools of Ming and Qing Furniture, Hong Kong, 2001, p. 105, suggests that furniture with inlays in burlwood, bamboo and archaic jade are characteristic of the Jiangsu style of court furnishings.

Hardwood furniture decorated with inlays separated by stretchers that simulate an extended twisted rope appear to have been popular at the Qing court. A related design may be found on a zitan kang table, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Hu Desheng, A Treasury of Ming and Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture from The Palace Museum Collection, Beijing, 2008, vol. 2, pl. 598; and on a table published in Tian Jiaqing, Classic Chinese Furniture of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1995, p. 176, pl. 76.

Compare also a zitan table, attributed to the Qianlong period, similarly carved with a ‘twisted rope’ stretcher, but lacking the jade and cloisonné inlays, also from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 92, together with a kang table decorated with a copper twisted-rope attachment, pl. 144; and a black lacquer example, with stretchers shaped like a cord with suspended jade bi-like ornaments mounted with cloisonné enamel panels with shou characters, included in Hu Desheng, op.cit., p. 240, fig. 271, and also in Two Hundred Pieces You Should Know. Red Sandalwood Furniture, Beijing, 2008, pl. 159.

This pair of tables is also special on account of the gilt-brass mounts fitted at the corners, which provide a striking contrast to the natural tone of the wood. Hu Desheng in ibid., p. 504, notes that lustrous and eye-catching mounts of the Ming and Qing periods confirm the skilful talent of furniture makers who were extremely adept at integrating decorative and functional aspects in their construction. Two types of mounting techniques appear to have developed in China, the flush-fitted mounts and the surface-fitted mounts. The former were inlaid into a carved recess that matched the shape and thickness of the mount, so that when placed on the wood they would lie flush with the surface. This type of technique cleverly conceals the mounts, as they were inserted from the back of the furniture piece. Surface-fitted mounts, on the other hand, are fitted directly onto the surface with bosshead nails, creating a more luxurious and eye-catching decorative effect compared to its flush-fit counterpart. 

For examples of metal mounts found on Qing period furniture, see various tables illustrated ibid., pls. 623-625, including a zitan example with a cloisonné enamel flush-fit mount, pl. 622; and one, illustrated in situ in the east end of the Chonghuagong (Palace of Double Brilliance) in the Forbidden City, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, op. cit., pl. 259.