Huanghuali Wood Pierced Ruyi Pattern Natural Landscape Marble Table Screen, Late Qing Dynasty, 19th Century

拍品描述

Dimensions: 55 cm (21.65 inches) wide, 51.5 cm (20.28 inches) high. A late 19th-century Qing dynasty scholar's study ornament. Condition and Provenance: This screen is completely original, including the hardwood frame, base, and marble panel, with no parts replaced later. The wooden frame is free of cracks, insect damage, or large areas of missing parts. The hardwood grain is clear, covered with a thick, rustic patina. All the openwork ruyi carvings are intact; the scrollwork apron carving is also intact. The natural landscape patterns on both sides of the marble panel are well preserved, with only slight signs of natural aging on the stone surface, no artificial staining or repolishing, and no hidden cracks or repairs. The geometric square spiral carvings on the side supports and four legs are intact, without any repairs or splicing. This late Qing dynasty marble and hardwood screen changed hands among New York antique dealers before being acquired in 2023 by a private collector in Manhattan, New York, from a collection of Ming and Qing dynasty miscellaneous art pieces. New York State, Vancouver, and London are major global trading centers for Ming and Qing dynasty art and antiques. Description: This exquisitely crafted marble and hardwood screen, dating back to the late Qing dynasty, was an indispensable decorative element in the traditional Chinese scholar's study. Well-preserved matching hardwood screens, paired with natural ink-wash landscape marble slabs, are highly sought after by collectors in the North American antique market. The entire screen is meticulously carved from solid old wood, composed of several intricate components: the outer frame, the openwork base, the side support columns, and four sturdy legs, all assembled using exquisite traditional woodworking techniques. The rectangular screen frame has rounded inner corners and precise grooves for securely holding the natural marble slab. The marble's base color is an elegant milky white, naturally incorporating soft gray, cyan, and dark mineral veins, creating a seamless ink-wash landscape: distant mountains undulating, the lake shimmering, and layers of peaks rising and falling. The distant view is shrouded in a thin mist, while the naturally stacked stones in the foreground form a complete traditional Chinese landscape painting. Without the need for any hand-painted pigments, it embodies the ancient literati's pursuit of tranquil landscape aesthetics. The marble slab base features a two-layer openwork carving. The upper layer is carved with seven symmetrical openwork ruyi cloud patterns, the lines flowing gracefully and the openwork clean and crisp. The lower layer is carved with intertwined ruyi grass patterns, finely polished to a smooth, burr-free finish. The tops of the two pillars are decorated with geometric square spiral patterns, and four outward-flaring legs firmly support the entire screen. The overall design is dignified and elegant, with the intricate decorative carvings complementing the understated classical design. In the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, the appreciation of beautifully textured decorative stones flourished among Chinese literati. Naturally textured marble was regarded as an uncarved natural painting, often paired with finely carved hardwood bases, used to decorate desks and hall partitions, serving multiple functions as decorative art, ornamental stones, and practical windproof screens. This screen is crafted from dense solid wood, and after a century of weathering, it displays a smooth and even patina. All components are original and unaltered; the openwork carvings are intact, and the natural layered landscape patterns of the marble are also well-preserved. It perfectly blends two core artistic traditions of the late Qing Dynasty: exquisite Chinese wood carving craftsmanship and the culture of literati collecting natural decorative stones. It is both an immersive piece of classical Chinese furniture and a top-tier scholar's study treasure with immense collectible value.

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