A HUANGHUALI ROUND-CORNER CABINET, YUANJIAOGUI 17th/18th century
THE PROPERTY OF A LADY 女士藏品
A HUANGHUALI ROUND-CORNER CABINET, YUANJIAOGUI
17th/18th century
With elegantly rounded protruding top with 'ice-plate' edge set on subtly splayed oval corner posts housing well-figured single panelled doors opening from the removable central stile to reveal the interior fitted with two shelves, with a metal three-part rectangular lock plate and pulls, all above a rectangular panel and a plain narrow apron with rounded apron spandrels. 107cm (42in) high x 74.5cm (29 1/4in) wide x 44cm (17 3/8in) deep.
十七/十八世紀 黃花梨圓角櫃
Provenance: Klas E Böök (1909-1980), Sweden, acquired during his service as Swedish Ambassador to Beijing, 1956-1961, and thence by descent
来源： Klas E Böök (1909-1980)，瑞典，在擔任瑞典駐北京大使期間獲得，1956-1961，並由後人保存迄今。
A Swedish diplomat and civil servant, Mr Böök first had a career in banking, that led up to the position of Governor of the Swedish National Bank from 1948 to 1951. His diplomatic career began when he was appointed head of the Commercial Department of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and envoy from 1947 to 1948. He was Minister in Ottawa from 1951 to 1956, Ambassador in Beijing from 1956 to 1961, and also accredited as envoy to Bangkok from 1956 to 1959. Böök was the Swedish Ambassador to New Delhi, India, and also accredited to Colombo and Kathmandu from 1961 to 1965 and in Bern from 1965 to 1972. He had special assignments for the Swedish Foreign Ministry from 1972 to 1975.
Notable for the elegant and tapering lines, the present cabinet is among the most successful forms of classical Chinese furniture. The very subtle taper in the design lends a sense of stability and balance to the form while retaining a graceful and pleasing profile, and the gently tapering sides convey the illusion of height and lightness.
Round-corner cabinets are one of the four types of cabinets with shelves created by Chinese furniture makers, along with open-shelf stands jiage, cabinets with open shelves liangegui and square-corner cabinets fangjiaogui. See Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1990, vol.1, pp.82 and 85.
According to Sarah Handler, the form of tapering cabinets originated from large chests with panelled doors which, by the Song period, were kept on large tables and used to store silk cloths. See an example of these large chests depicted in a handscroll painting, attributed to the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), illustrated by S.Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley, 2001, p.244, pl.15.5. In later times, medium-sized cabinets such as the present example were often kept in scholars' studios and used to store books, scrolls or writing instruments. A hanging scroll from the set of 'Eighteen Scholars of the Tang Dynasty', Ming dynasty, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, depicts a scholar beside a small cabinet about to select a work from the books and scrolls stacked on the shelves; see L.Lin, Catalogue to the Special Exhibition of Furniture in Paintings, Taipei, 1996, pl.9.
A related huanghuali, burlwood and nanmu round-corner cabinet, late 16th-early 18th century, in the Haven Collection, University Museum, Hong Kong, is illustrated by Chu Pak Lau, Classical Chinese Huanghuali Furniture, Hong Kong, 2016, p.227, no.54. See also a related pair of huanghuali and burlwood cabinets, 17th century, illustrated by R.H.Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture, New York, 1970, pl.122.
A related huanghuali round-corner cabinet, 18th century, was sold at Bonhams London, 13 May 2021, lot 17.
Bid on this lot
THE PROPERTY OF A LADY 女士藏品
A HUANGHUALI ROUND-CORNER CABINET, YUANJIAOGUI
17th/18th century
With elegantly rounded protruding top with 'ice-plate' edge set on subtly splayed oval corner posts housing well-figured single panelled doors opening from the removable central stile to reveal the interior fitted with two shelves, with a metal three-part rectangular lock plate and pulls, all above a rectangular panel and a plain narrow apron with rounded apron spandrels. 107cm (42in) high x 74.5cm (29 1/4in) wide x 44cm (17 3/8in) deep.
十七/十八世紀 黃花梨圓角櫃
Provenance: Klas E Böök (1909-1980), Sweden, acquired during his service as Swedish Ambassador to Beijing, 1956-1961, and thence by descent
来源： Klas E Böök (1909-1980)，瑞典，在擔任瑞典駐北京大使期間獲得，1956-1961，並由後人保存迄今。
A Swedish diplomat and civil servant, Mr Böök first had a career in banking, that led up to the position of Governor of the Swedish National Bank from 1948 to 1951. His diplomatic career began when he was appointed head of the Commercial Department of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and envoy from 1947 to 1948. He was Minister in Ottawa from 1951 to 1956, Ambassador in Beijing from 1956 to 1961, and also accredited as envoy to Bangkok from 1956 to 1959. Böök was the Swedish Ambassador to New Delhi, India, and also accredited to Colombo and Kathmandu from 1961 to 1965 and in Bern from 1965 to 1972. He had special assignments for the Swedish Foreign Ministry from 1972 to 1975.
Notable for the elegant and tapering lines, the present cabinet is among the most successful forms of classical Chinese furniture. The very subtle taper in the design lends a sense of stability and balance to the form while retaining a graceful and pleasing profile, and the gently tapering sides convey the illusion of height and lightness.
Round-corner cabinets are one of the four types of cabinets with shelves created by Chinese furniture makers, along with open-shelf stands jiage, cabinets with open shelves liangegui and square-corner cabinets fangjiaogui. See Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1990, vol.1, pp.82 and 85.
According to Sarah Handler, the form of tapering cabinets originated from large chests with panelled doors which, by the Song period, were kept on large tables and used to store silk cloths. See an example of these large chests depicted in a handscroll painting, attributed to the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), illustrated by S.Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley, 2001, p.244, pl.15.5. In later times, medium-sized cabinets such as the present example were often kept in scholars' studios and used to store books, scrolls or writing instruments. A hanging scroll from the set of 'Eighteen Scholars of the Tang Dynasty', Ming dynasty, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, depicts a scholar beside a small cabinet about to select a work from the books and scrolls stacked on the shelves; see L.Lin, Catalogue to the Special Exhibition of Furniture in Paintings, Taipei, 1996, pl.9.
A related huanghuali, burlwood and nanmu round-corner cabinet, late 16th-early 18th century, in the Haven Collection, University Museum, Hong Kong, is illustrated by Chu Pak Lau, Classical Chinese Huanghuali Furniture, Hong Kong, 2016, p.227, no.54. See also a related pair of huanghuali and burlwood cabinets, 17th century, illustrated by R.H.Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture, New York, 1970, pl.122.
A related huanghuali round-corner cabinet, 18th century, was sold at Bonhams London, 13 May 2021, lot 17.
