A JUMU TAPERED KANG CABINET, YUANJIAO KANGGUI, QIANLONG PERIOD

拍品描述

A JUMU TAPERED KANG CABINET, YUANJIAO KANGGUI, QIANLONG PERIOD China, 1736-1795. The cabinet made of jumu with characteristic attractive graining, mortise and tenon construction, and a rounded protruding rectangular top with 'ice-plate' edge supported on slightly splayed, rounded corner posts, beaded where they meet the side panels and doors, with rounded, molded frames and fitted with rectangular lock plates and pulls. The doors opening from the removable central stile to reveal two floating shelves and a pair of drawers, all above a plain beaded apron and shaped stretchers. Expert’s note: Jumu wood (榉木 / 櫸木, jǔmù) is the traditional Chinese term for Chinese zelkova, principally Zelkova schneideriana, a hardwood widely used in ancient Chinese furniture. Dimensions: Size 139.5 x 86.7 x 42.5 cm This cabinet exemplifies the refinement of classical Chinese furniture, combining a restrained Ming-inspired form with sophisticated joinery and carefully selected timber of particularly attractive grain. Its gently upturned, rounded outer edges, plain side panels, and matched doors framed by rounded moldings lend the imposing structure an elegant architectural clarity. The removable central stile allowed larger objects to be placed inside, while three elongated metal lock plates secured the doors with a transverse locking pin. Of particular note is the cabinet’s masterful construction: the doors are mounted on concealed pivots, and the individual elements are joined entirely by mortise-and-tenon techniques without nails or screws, allowing the wood to expand and contract naturally without splitting. This harmonious union of beauty, functionality, and technical ingenuity encapsulates the qualities for which Chinese furniture has long been admired and which later exerted a profound influence on European designers, from Chippendale to the masters of Art Nouveau. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 March 2014, lot 2246 Price: USD 30,000 or approx. EUR 37,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and material. Note the smaller size (99.7 x 69.2 x 41 cm) and different material of the front.

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