Lot 1203. A huanghuali waisted day bed, ta, 17th century; 21 5/8 in. (54.9 cm.) high, 75 ½ in. (191.7 cm.) wide, 24 ½ in. (62.2 cm.) deep. Estimate USD 250,000 - USD 350,000. Price realised USD 269,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2016

The well-proportioned bed has a narrow waist, which supports a rectangular molded frame enclosing the hard mat seat. The bed is raised on sturdy beaded legs, terminating in hoof feet and joined by plain beaded aprons and humpback stretchers. 

Provenance : Nicholas Grindley, Ltd., London, 1989.

Notes: Due to its simple design and light weight, the daybed was a versatile piece of furniture, easily suited for both indoor and outdoor purposes. Woodblock prints dating from the Ming dynasty often show scholars or ladies relaxing on daybeds in garden settings or along riverbanks. For uses of the daybed as indoor and outdoor seating during the Ming dynasty, refer to Wang et al., Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, p. 6. A relatedhuanghuali daybed, of slightly larger proportions and with legs terminating in carved scroll-form feet is illustrated by R. H. Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch'ing Dynasties, New York, 1971, p. 146, no. 38.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 16 September 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza