A PAIR OF LATE 17TH, EARLY 18TH CENTURY RED LACQUER SIDE CABINETS
Depth: 25.5 cm
Height 84 cm.
Provenance
Private Colelction: France, Paris
Private Collection UK, London
Literature
Clunas, Craig. Chinese Furniture. Victoria and Albert Museum, 1988.
Soame Jenyns. Chinese Art: Lacquer, Glass and Cloisonné. Victoria and Albert Museum, 1950.
Zhongguo meishu quanji: Qiqi bian [The Great Treasury of Chinese Fine Arts: Lacquerware]. Beijing, 1989.
Béatrice Quette (ed.). La Laque en Chine. Musée des Arts Décoratifs / Somogy, 2013.
Compare with examples discussed in Craig Clunas, Chinese Furniture (V&A, 1988), and Béatrice Quette (ed.), La Laque en Chine (2013), which document similar uses of polychrome lacquer and auspicious motifs. See also Watt and Ford, East Asian Lacquer (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1991) for the stylistic and technical parallels, particularly in cabinets incorporating engraved and coloured lacquer techniques (qiangjin and tianqi).
A Rare Pair of Late 17th - Early 18th Century, Chinese Red Lacquer Cabinets with Polychrome Decoration
Refinement and Form
This rare pair of lacquer cabinets shows the refinement and artistry of Chinese lacquer work at the turn of the 18th century. The cabinets are intricately decorated with incised linework and polychrome and gilt; they are in fine condition throughout and retain their original brassware, including the ruyi-shaped lockplates, strap hinges, and loop hasps.
Painterly Decoration and Symbolism
The cabinets are decorated with sprays of flowering peach branches, leaves, and boldly coloured parrots perched amidst the foliage. These motifs are outlined and then filled with pigments and touches of gold, depictions which are emblematic of themes in Chinese culture; peaches symbolise longevity and immortality, while parrots represent eloquence and refinement.
A Rare and Refined Interior
Opening the double doors reveals a rare and highly refined interior configuration, indicating the cabinets’ dual function as both practical storage and decorative objects. Each contains an upper compartment with a single shelf, and below this, a pair of central interior doors decorated with red and green dragons, that were associated with imperial power.
Rarity and Historical Significance
This pair of Kangxi cabinets are a fine example of late 17th early 18th Century Chinese lacquer work. While they are rare for having survived as a pair, their decoration and general construction are of superb quality. It should also be noted that they are in fine original condition, retaining their original brassware, including the ruyi-shaped lockplates, strap hinges, and loop hasps.