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Huanghuali Portable Table Cabinet with Carved Flower Design

A carved Huanghuali portable table cabinet, Guanpixiang Qing Dynasty, the hinged canted cover lifting to reveal a shallow compartment over a pair of panelled doors, each carved in relief with a stylised flower spray of a single bloom with leafy scrollwork within the mitred frame set with metal ruyi -shaped mounts and hinges, the front with a quatrefoil metal lock plate set with a ruyi -shaped clasp, the doors opening to reveal a pair of short drawers and a single drawer above a long drawer, each with metal pulls, the sides fitted with angular metal loop handles, raised on a conforMing base with curvilinear front apron carved with foliate scrolls and set with corner mounts, 12.01 in. high, 12.60 in. wide, 11.81 in. deep. Provenance. Tomlinson Antique House, Singapore, circa 1994. This lot is accompanied by a Tomlinson Antique House certificate of antiquity describing this chest as huanghuali and dating it to the Qing dynasty. Compare with a similarly decorated zitan portable table cabinet dated to the 18th/19th century, sold Sotheby's, New York, 16 September 2014, lot 193, and another zitan cabinet similarly dated, sold Sotheby's, New York, 14 September 2016, lot 364. These table cabinets were used as dressing cases by both men and women to store toiletries, jewellery and other valuables. They were also used on desks for the storage of stationery, writing implements and seals.

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  • Huanghuali Wood - Huanghuali is the most sought-after timber used in the construction of Chinese furniture because of its fine colour and grain.

    During Ming and early Qing dynasties, most of the best furniture was made from huanghuali wood.

    It is a member of the rosewood family and over time the surface mellows to a yellowish brown tone with the exposure to light.

    In recent years, furniture made from huanghuali wood has increased exponentially in value.
  • Quatrefoil - A stylised four-circle design, itself contained within a larger circle, with Gothic origins and often seen as window designs in ecclesiastical architecture. The use of the motif was popular in Gothic Revival furniture of the 19th century.
  • Zitan Wood - Zitan is the most expensive, and since ancient times, has been considered the most precious of woods.

    Zitan wood is the hardest and heaviest of all hardwoods. It is purplish-black to black in colour, and with a grain so dense it is virtually invisible.

    Zitan can usually only be obtained in quite narrow strips and so it is rare to find large pieces of furniture made from this wood. True Chinese rosewood is a variety of zitan and is very rare.
  • Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
  • Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
  • Qing Dynasty - The Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912. It was established by the Manchu people, who originated from the northeastern region of China. The Qing Dynasty was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China.
  • Ming Dynasty - The Ming Dynasty was a ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. It succeeded the Yuan Dynasty and preceded the Qing Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty was established by Zhu Yuanzhang, a former Buddhist monk who became a rebel leader and eventually overthrew the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, China experienced a period of relative stability and prosperity. The government was centralized and bureaucratic, with the emperor at the top of the hierarchy. The Ming Dynasty is known for its cultural achievements, including the development of porcelain, the invention of movable type printing, and the construction of the Great Wall of China.

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A carved huanghuali portable table cabinet, Guanpixiang Qing…