A HUANGHUALI TAPERED CABINET QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY

the rectangular projecting top set above a recessed top panel, joined by four square posts at each corner forming the tapered silhouette, the pair of single panelled doors with wooden dowels fitting into the sockets in the upper frame and lower front rail, above a plain narrow apron with curved spandrels, with baitong plates, pulls and pin

Collection of Dr J.H. Zeeman, Charge d'Affaires, Embassy of the Netherlands, Beijing 1954-1957.
Thence by descent.

The back is most likely replaced and there is a 43cm split to the left side, the interior has been later adapted to include a clothes rail and the vertical door rail is a later replacement. There is a repair to the back left leg (6cm).
"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."

One of the most ingenious and beautiful designs of classical Chinese furniture is the round-corner tapered, wood-hinged cabinet. Known as yuanjiaogui, the broad tapering silhouette of these cabinets is both aesthetic and functional as it gives the cabinet both a sense of refined elegance and stability. For a detailed discussion on this type of cabinets, see Sarah Handler, ‘Cabinets and Shelves Containing All Things in China’, Journal of the Classical Chinese Furniture Society, Winter 1993, pp 4-49, where the author traces the development of tapered cabinets to early chests and boxes.  

 

A similar cabinet is illustrated in Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, Hong Kong, 1990, pl. D25; another was sold at Christie’s London, 17th June 2003, lot 106; a slightly smaller cabinet, from the collection of Gustav Ecke, is illustrated in George N. Kates, Chinese Household Furniture, New York, 1948, pl. 7; and a fourth cabinet, was sold in our New York rooms, 25th April 1987, lot 467.