A HUANGHUALI RECESSED-LEG BENCH, CHUNDENG 17TH CENTURY |

the top of standard mitre, mortise and tenon construction framing a soft mat surface, the edge of the frame gently moulded and ending in a narrow flat band, supported on four recessed legs terminating in slightly flared feet, the legs cut to house the spandrelled apron, each pair of legs conjoined to the shorter sides with two stretchers

The Gangolf Geis Collection.
Christie's New York, 18th September 2003, lot 68.

In good and intact condition.
"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."

This bench is notable for its large dimensions and sturdy appearance, achieved through the square-section legs which gently splay outwards. Benches were very popular in the Ming and Qing dynasties as they were highly functional: their light weight and soft-cane seats, which allowed air circulation, made them ideal to be used both indoors and outdoors during warm summer days, while their large size and sturdy construction allowed them to function also as daybeds or for the display of small treasured objects. Benches are classified according to their size: large benches such as the present are known as chundeng, or ‘spring bench’, long and narrow examples are called tiaodeng, while those that can accommodate two people are named errendeng. These benches feature in the classic 15th-century text Lu Ban jing [Classic of Lu Ban], which provide specific instructions on their appropriate size and shape. A line drawing of a bench of this type from a late Ming version of the Lu Ban jing, is published in the catalogue to the exhibition Ming Furniture, Grace Wu Bruce Co., Ltd, Hong Kong, 1995, p. 60 (left and top right). An illustration of a bench of similar design is included in Sancai tuhui [Assembled pictures of the three realms], the Ming dynasty encyclopedia (fig. 1). 

Benches of such large size are unusual; compare a slightly smaller bench with round members and the spandrels carved with lingzhi, from the collection of Dr Otto Burchard, illustrated in Gustav Ecke, Chinese Domestic Furniture, Hong Kong, 1962, pl. 56, no. 42; another with cloud-shaped spandrels, in the Haven collection, included in the exhibition Classical Chinese Huanghuali Furniture, University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2016, cat. no. 26; and one with square members, but a hard seat, was included in the exhibition Ming Furniture, op.cit., cat. no. 28. See also a line drawing of a large bench with cloud-shaped spandrels, illustrated in Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture. Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1990, vol. II, pl. A53.

Further examples were sold at auction, such as a pair from the Hung collection, illustrated in Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: One Hundred Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection, New York, 1996, pp. 54-5, no. 7, and sold in these rooms, 8th April 2014, lot 61; and another sold at Christie’s London, 10th November 2015, lot 387.