A camphor (changmu) bed, Ming Dynasty, 17th century. Photo: Sotheby's

boldly constructed with massive square-sectioned incurved legs terminating in hoofed feet, supporting a broad curved apron with a pronounced beaded border and a waist, the thick seat frame securing a long back rail with a humpback profile and two plain end rails, the wood of rich golden colour; 76.5 by 213 by 118 cm.; 30 1/8 by 84 by 46 1/2 in. Estimation 1,000,000 — 1,500,000 HKD

Litterature: Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: One Hundred Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection, New York, 1996, pp. 98-99, no. 29.

The Chinese couch, or luohan chuang, is one of the most readily identifiable examples of Chinese furniture. There are many variations of this basic form, but all share a few features: a cane seating surface; side and back panels; and legs that raise the frame off the floor. Couches were a standard part of a gentleman’s studio. There are a number of references to scholars spreading out books and artwork across the surface of a couch, such as examples cited by Sarah Handler in her article on the subject, ‘A Couch Bed for Day and Night for Comfort and Joy’ in Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley, 2001, pp. 122-138. Another article that provides insight into how couches were used can be found in Wen Zhenheng’s work, Zhang Wu Zhi (Treatise on Superfluous Things) (translated in Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things: Material Culture and Social Status in Early Modern China, Honolulu, 2004, p. 42):

"There was no way in which they were not convenient, whether for sitting up, lying down or reclining. In moments of pleasant relaxation they would spread out classic or historical texts, examine works of calligraphy or painting, display ancient bronze vessels, dine or take a nap, as the furniture was suitable for all these things."

Unlike chairs, which are portable, personal spaces for sitting, the couch is a stage for the sitter. It faces forward, framing the sitter within a three-sided raised enclosure that demands attention. With this example, the bold, bowed legs are of extravagant size, raising the importance of the sitter. The enclosure creates an intimate space, in which the sitter can gather around him favorite objects that are easily within grasp that are viewable only from the front and protected by the nearness of the sitter.

Changmu, or camphor is an unusual choice of wood for a couch, unusual in that most often couches were constructed of locally available timber that was lacquered, of hardwoods, such as huanghuali, tielimu, or zitan, or elaborate structures with marble and lacquer panels. Camphor, though unusual, was a thoughtful choice from which to construct a bed. As a natural insect repellent, camphor’s qualities are perfectly appropriate for a couch that would have been covered in fabric. Camphor has a broad, distinctive grain that can be best appreciated over large surfaces. The expanse of timber used in a couch, like that of large storage chests or tall compound cupboards, is well-suited for camphor.

Compare a couch that was formerly in the collection of Charlotte Horstman, that is now in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City illustrated in Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch’ing Dynasties, New York, 1970, p. 145, pl. 36, as well as in Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, vol. II, Chicago, 1990, p. 128, pl. C6.

Wang Shixiang and Curtis Evarts also illustrate a zitan couch of similar design in Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chinese Art Foundation, San Francisco, 1995, pl. 7.

Sotheby's. The Hung Collection – A Selection of Important Chinese Furniture. Hong Kong | 08 avr. 2014 - www.sothebys.com