105 - A rare Chinese huanghuali trestle leg altar table, qiaotou'an

A rare Chinese huanghuali trestle leg altar table, qiaotou'an Qing dynasty, 19th century Of floating panel construction, with single panel top set in a rectangular frame terminating in everted ends carved in shallow relief with ruyi scrolls above plain apron and pierced and carved spandrels, raised on slightly flared double-reeded legs joined by an openwork panel carved with chilong amongst lingzhi foliage, 177cm x 46.5cm x 88cm. 清十九世紀 黃花梨雕螭龍紋翹頭案 Note: The qiaotouan (table with upturned ends) is among the most refined and enduring forms of Chinese furniture. Its origins lie in the scholar's studio and the ancestral hall, where tables of this type served for the display of scrolls, ritual vessels and antiquities. The form reached its aesthetic peak in the late Ming and early Qing periods, when huanghuali was the wood of choice for the most discerning patrons. Its warm honeyed tones and pronounced figuring were prized for their quiet elegance, and the best examples rely on proportion and the quality of the timber rather than on applied ornament. The present table follows that tradition while reflecting the more decorative taste of the 19th century. The trestle-leg structure, with its paired legs and carved panels set between them, allows the cabinetmaker to introduce relief carving without compromising the clean line of the whole. The chilong, the hornless dragon of archaic bronze and jade ornament, was an emblem of authority and antiquity, while lingzhi, the fungus of immortality, signified longevity. Together they carry a wish for enduring prosperity and a long and distinguished lineage. The ruyi scrolls on the flanges and spandrels reinforce this auspicious sentiment, ruyi meaning "as you wish". Compare with a table in the collection of The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is illustrated by Robert D. Jacobsen and Nicholas Grinldley in Classical Chinese Funriture in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1999, pp.126-128, no. 42. This table is demountable and dated to the 17th century yet like the present table, the front of the legs are decorated with a 'two incense stick' beading and the side panels are similarly carved and pierced with chilong.