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A rare Chinese group of the Tyrolean Dancers, Qianlong period, circa 1752
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A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 1
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 2
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 3
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 4
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 5
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 6
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 7
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 8
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 9
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 10
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 11
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 12
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 13
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 14
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 15
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 16
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 17
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 18
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 19
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 20
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 21
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 22
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 23
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 24
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 25
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 26
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 27
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 28
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 29
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 30
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 31
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 32
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 33
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 34
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 35
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 36
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 37
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 38
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 39
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 40
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 41
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 42
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 43
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 44
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 45
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 46
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 47
A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an 17th century image 48
Lot 969

A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an
17th century

Fine Asian Works of Art
18 December 2017, 11:00 PST
San Francisco

Sold for US$81,250 inc. premium

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A fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table, pingtou'an

17th century
The rectangular top panel with subtle 'ice-plate' edge set above an apron with U-shaped spandrels, fitted into slightly splayed, cylindrical supports above gracefully arched rounded stretchers on the longer sides, further secured by twin oval-shaped stretchers on the shorter sides, the corners of the top panel and the bases of the supports mounted with brass caps; finely inlaid with mother-of-pearl on black lacquer ground, the top exhibiting a rectangular reserve, with two poetic couplets flanking a central lush peony plant issuing from rocks between elegant blooming branches, amidst carefully rendered birds and insects, all framed within a broad band filled with scholar's objects, auspicious elements, music instruments, and additional blossoms, the sides decorated with delicate foliate sprays and formalized cloud pattern.
16 1/2 x 51 1/4 x 31 1/2in (42 x 127.5 x 80cm)

Footnotes

The couplet on the right side can be translated as:
The blossoms swaying gently in the breeze
The red petals in the rain, resembling thin silk

The couplet on the left side can be translated as:
The beauty of the color and texture of the mother-of-pearl
[are] as refined as [what is] used for the birthday cup for the Emperor Yao

It is rare to see a fine mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer table surviving from the seventeenth century like the present example. The simple elegance and pleasing outline of the table carry the distinctive characteristics of admired Ming furniture, often found being made from richly-figured tropical wood like huanghuali, tieli, xiangnan, etc.

Archaeological findings indicates that the technique of inlaying mother-of-pearl on lacquer was practiced as early as the Shang dynasty. Lacquered furniture with mother-of-pearl inlay decoration appears to have been among the luxurious types of furniture during the Ming dynasty, as evidenced by some of the descriptions in Chinese literature, pictorial illustrations, and contemporary paintings. The Golden Lotus, a sixteenth century novel by an anonymous author includes vivid descriptions of interior settings. Mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer furniture is mentioned a number of times in the novel (e.g. Chapter 30). Refer also to a Ming dynasty painting titled 'Scooping the Moon from a Golden Basin' in the Shanghai Museum, in which a servant is seen standing in front of a black lacquered long table with mother-of-pearl inlays. The appearance of a lacquered and mother-of-pear inlaid censer stand in a Ming dynasty portrait of a court lady also indicates that the popularity of this type of furniture in luxurious court setting (Power and Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty, Li He and Michael Knight, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2008, p. 251, no. 140; and p. 261, no. 148)

Furniture made during the early Qing dynasty closely followed the Ming style. Refer to a table of comparable form, attributed to the Kangxi period, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong, 2002, plate 143.

Additional information

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A rare Chinese group of the Tyrolean Dancers, Qianlong period, circa 1752
FOUR CHINESE YIXING WARES Late Qing dynasty - 20th century
FIVE BURMESE AND THAI GILTWOOD FIGURES OF BUDDHA Late 19th/20th century
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