Lot 8. A rare and important huanghuali flush-mitred joint recessed-leg table, China, late 16th-17th century; 84.4 cm high, 125.4 cm wide, 44.8 cm.) deep. Price realised GBP 1,514,000 (Estimate GBP 700,000 – GBP 900,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Provenance: China Art, 1997.
Daniel Shapiro Collection, New York, 2001.

Literature: M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture: A Very Personal Point of View, London, 2011, pp. 240-243.

Note: The elegant simplicity ouf this table derives from its pure form and balanced proportions, characteristics that define the restrained, yet sophisticated aesthetic associated with Ming furniture. The dramatic, undulating line of the apron draws the eye in one sweeping motion across the table. The subtly splayed legs join the apron with a flush mitre joint. The use of the rarer flush-mitre joint produces a striking design, whereby the apron and legs meet on a single plane, creating a smooth, unbroken surface and decorative line. This distinct design of the leg is often called ‘sword legs,’ a poetic reference to the pointed mitred tip at the top of the leg and the delicate, carved designs at the knee and feet, akin to the chape and pommel of a sword. Finely carved beaded aprons and legs further accentuate this subtle and commanding silhouette. The present huanghuali table is a Ming-period masterpiece marrying sophisticated construction techniques and innovative design.

Tables of this specific construction can be found dated to the Tang dynasty (618-906 AD) and were constructed in various materials, including lacquer, softwood, huanghuali and zitan. The form of the present table is referred to as a jiuzhou by Wang Shixiang in Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, Hong Kong, 1990, vol. I, pp. 54-56, where he illustrates a closely related example in black lacquer in vol. II, p. 78, no. B36. While the author notes that the exact origin of the name jiuzhuo is unknown, it was associated with tables of this general form which appear in Ming-dynasty paintings and are used to serve wine and food. Wang continues to say that these wine tables typically have raised, beaded edges on the top frame, presumably to prevent run-off from spilled wine. A mother-of-pearl-inlaid black lacquer table decorated with carved dragons, and bearing a six-character Wanli mark in gilt and of the period, is in the Qing Court collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 128, no. 108.

A very rare demountable huanghuali table with flush mitre joint, carved with an elongated, cusped apron and double-incense beading on the legs is illustrated in M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture, New York, 2012, pp. 182-185. Another rare huanghuali table of similar construction, with deeply cusped aprons and stylized foliate spandrels is illustrated in M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture, New York, 2012, pp.182-185. Another huanghuali table, with deeply cusped aprons and stylized foliate spandrels is illustrated in Grace Wu’s catalogue, Ming Furniture: 30 October – 18 November 1995, p. 6, no. 2.

Lot 2. A rare huanghuali folding stool, China, 17th century; 52 cm high, 59.4 cm wide, 49.6 cm deep. Price realised GBP 101,600 (Estimate GBP 60,000 – GBP 80,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026
 

Provenance: Ever Arts Gallery, Hong Kong, 2005.
MD Flacks Ltd., New York, 2006.
Daniel Shapiro Collection, New York, 2016.

Literature: M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture VIII, New York, Spring 2006, no. 4.

Note: Lightweight, simple in design, and compact, folding stools were a practical alternative for seating when traveling or hunting. First introduced by nomadic tribes of the Northern and Western regions during the Han dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.), folding stools have X-frame round-section legs joined by metal pivot pins, secured into flat feet and seat rails at the bottom and top, respectively. A woven seat spans the rails, offering both support and comfort. When in the folded position, these stools can be carried over the shoulder and were therefore a popular seat for rulers and dignitaries when traveling. A Ming-dynasty 16th-century woodblock illustration of Qiu Hua Lienu Zhaun (The Stories of Upright Woman) depicts a servant carrying a similar folding stool while accompanying a rider on horseback.

While quite rare, a handful similar huanghuali folding stools are known. A huanghuali folding stool, similarly carved with confronting chilong on the front seal rail, is illustrated by N. Berliner et al., Beyond the Screen: Chinese Furniture from the 16th and 17th Centuries, Boston, 1996, no. 2. See, also, the huanghuali folding stool in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, illustrated by R. D. Jacobsen and N. Grindley in Classical Chinese Furniture, Minneapolis, 1999, pp. 36-7, no. 1. A huanghuali folding stool, of similar size and carved with confronting chilong, from the Mimi Wong Collection, was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 2 May 2025, lot 967.

Lot 14. A tielimu recessed-leg painting table, China, 17th century; 84.5 cm high, 224.5 cm wide, 64.2 cm deep. Price realised GBP 35,560 (Estimate GBP 30,000 – GBP 50,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Provenance: Andy Hei Ltd., Hong Kong, 2017.

Note: Any table with proportions of width and depth comparable to those of the present table should be considered a painting table. A true painting table must have a surface broad enough to accommodate a large painting and the accoutrements associated with painting or calligraphy, such as ink, ink stones, brushes, and washers.

Defined by its elegant proportions and austere silhouette, the present table is an exceptional example of its type. The massive solid tielimu was selected for its attractive and vigorous grain and fitted with delicate everted ends. The whole is raised on gently splayed legs joined by pairs of stretchers. Notable examples of tielimu furniture include a rare tielimu flush-corner-leg table sold in the Marie Theresa L. Virata Collection of Asian Art: A family legacy; Christie’s New York, 16 March 2017, lot 664 and a tielimu flush-mitre joint recessed-leg table carved with foliate spandrels sold at Christie’s New York, 25 March 2022, lot 1179.

Lot 36. A very rare huanghuali stool, China, 17th century; 49.2 cm high, 57.5 cm wide, 42 cm deep. Price realised GBP 88,900 (Estimate GBP 70,000 – GBP 90,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Provenance: Andy Hei Ltd., Hong Kong, 2000s.
Private Collection, Hong Kong, 2000s.

Note: There are relatively few extant examples of this specific design of stool. Of ‘four-corners flush’ form, the stool is distinguished by the deeply, cusped apron carved at the midpoint with a lotus flower and supported on shaped, beaded legs terminating in hoof feet. The elegantly shaped apron and decorative carved elements at the midpoint of the legs recall design motifs seen in wine tables constructed with flush-mitred joints. A huanghuali rectangular corner-leg table with tall waist, cusped aprons and similarly carved legs is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 104, no. 87.

A larger rectangular huanghuali flush-corner stool of similar design is illustrated in C. Evarts, Liang Yi Collection. Vol I. Huanghuali, Hong Kong, 2007, pp. 40-41, no. 1. Compare a similar huanghuali waistless flush corner-leg stool sold in A Connoisseur’s Studio – the Cissy and Robert Tang Collection of Chinese Classical Furniture; Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2023, lot 2714 and another of related design sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 9 July 2020, lot 2899.

Lot 12. A huanghuali 'bamboo' stool, China, late 17th century; 46 cm high, 47.2 cm wide, 38.4 cm deep. Price realised GBP 82,550 (Estimate GBP 20,000 – GBP 30,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026
 

Provenance: Wang Ducheng, Hong Kong, 2008.
Curtis Evarts, Hong Kong, 2009.

Literature: M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture VII, New York, Spring 2005, no. 4.
M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture: A Very Personal Point of View, London, 2011, pp. 88-91.

Note: The design of the present stool was inspired by a humble bamboo stool prototype. The abundance of bamboo made it popular among the lower classes, as a cost-effective and more easily portable alternative to the more luxurious huanghuali furniture. Stylistic features such as the wraparound stretchers, stacked seat frame and the round section legs directly reference the construction technique of bending lengths of bamboo using steam and heat. This construction technique inspired the furniture makers of the Ming dynasty to re-purpose its techniques and appearance in more precious materials, such as huanghuali.

A pair of larger 17th-century bamboo-inspired huanghuali stools with double stacked seat frame and wraparound humpback stretchers is illustrated by N. Grindley et al., Pure Form: Classical Chinese Furniture: Vok Collection, Padua, 2004, pls. 14-15.

Lot 17. A very rare huanghuali 'S-Spindle' back armchair, China, 17th-18th century; 82.8 cm high, 55.6 cm wide, 42.5 cm deep. Price realised GBP 533,400 (Estimate GBP 80,000 – GBP 120,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Provenance: Eastern Pacific Co. (Hei Hung Lu), Hong Kong, 1996.

Literature: M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture I, New York, Spring 1997, no. 3.

M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture: A Very Personal Point of View, London, 2011, pp. 38-43.

Note : Design-forward and supported by advanced engineering, the present huanghuali chair is sophisticated and timeless in its design and masterful in its execution. The fluid and pronounced S-curved vertical spindles contrast elegantly with the straight lines of the back and the arms. Within this frame, the S-curved spindles activate this space with energy and movement, creating a rippling and wave-like effect. The design is subtle, a careful interplay of negative and positive space and is bound at the seat by three bands of wraparound stretchers. To ensure the stability of this unusual design, the S-curved spindles tenon at the top and bottom into horizontal stretchers. This prevents movement of the spindles as the chair shrinks and expands relative to its environment and ensures the integrity of the design in all climates.

Inspired by the humble bamboo chair and the construction technique of bending lengths of bamboo using steam and heat, the present chair is a rare variant on the more commonly seen rose chairs (low-back armchairs). Abundant and affordable, bamboo was frequently used in Chinese furniture and was a constant presence in everyday life, inspiring designs in more refined and highly regarded materials. The round members, curving spindles, and stacked wraparound stretchers of the present chair are based in the vocabulary of bamboo furniture and applied to huanghuali. Bamboo, along with prunus, orchid and chrysanthemum are known as the ‘Four Gentlemen.’ Upright and sturdy, yet pliant, scholars associate bamboo with moral integrity. The hollow cane suggests humility, as even when fully grown, there remains space for expansion and learning. A chair of this design would have been commissioned by a wealthy gentleman-scholar, attracted to the humble origins of bamboo furniture, but seeking the luxury and status associated with precious huanghuali.

Due to the technical skills required to successfully produce this chair design, there are relatively few extant huanghuali examples. The mate to the present chair, fitted with rounded apron below the seat is illustrated by Zhang Jinhua in The Classical Chinese Furniture of Weiyang: Representative Examples, vol, 2, London, 2016, p. 56-59. A pair of slightly larger huanghuali rose chairs with similarly carved wave-like spindles, and shaped aprons and spandrels, formerly from the Mimi Wong collection was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 2 May 2025, lot 958. A very rare single huanghuali rose chair with flattened wave-like spindles is illustrated by G. Wu in Three Decades of Ming Furniture, Beijing, 2024, p. 127.

Lot 30. A huanghuali meditation stool, China, 17th-18th century; 47.2 cm high, 65.5 cm wide, 65.2 cm deep. Price realised GBP 203,200 (Estimate GBP 60,000 – GBP 80,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Provenance: MD Flacks Ltd., New York, 2010s.

Daniel Shapiro Collection, New York, 2016.

Literature: M Flacks. Stools, New York, Spring 2009, no. 12.

M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture: A Very Personal Point of View, London, 2011, pp. 98-99.

Note: There appear to be no other published examples of a meditation stool of this design. The present stool is distinguished by the S-shaped struts between the stretchers and the seat, a rare feature that creates an upward dynamism and a sense of motion. The presence of round legs and the unusual wave-like struts below the seat was influenced by the construction of bamboo furniture.

Stools of this large size are often referred to as ‘meditation stools’ as their size allows the user to sit on them cross-legged. These large stools were made in various designs, such as the huanghuali example with double humpbacked stretchers and double-reeded members in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by Wang Shixiang in Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, 1990, vol. 11, p. 20, pl. A7. A pair of larger huanghuali meditation stools of more standard design with humpback stretchers and legs terminating in hoof feet were sold at Christie’s New York, 21 March 2025, lot 813.

Lot 43. A locust wood day bed, China, 17th-18th century; 52 cm high, 216 cm wide, 75.3 cm deep. Price realised GBP 16,510 (Estimate GBP 7,000 – GBP 9,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026
 

Provenance: C. L. Ma Collection, early 2000s.
MD Flacks Ltd., New York, 2010.
Daniel Shapiro Collection, New York, 2016.

Lot 6. A rare imperial zitan display shelf, China, Yongzheng period (1723-1735); 86.4 cm high, 90.6 cm wide, 27.5 cm deep. Price realised GBP 381,000 (Estimate GBP 70,000 – GBP 90,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Provenance: Andy Hei, Hong Kong, early 2000s.
Private Collection, Connecticut, ca. 2005.

Note: Dating to the Yongzheng period, the present zitan display shelf bears the hallmarks of great Imperial furniture. Constructed from high-quality, vigorously grained zitan, the display shelf is divided into three horizontal shelves, each shelf fitted with finely beaded edges and joining at the corners on delicate ruyi heads. A blue-grey lacquer has been applied to the interior. The pairing of zitan against a blue-grey lacquer background became a favored combination during the Qianlong period.

The subtle blue-grey lacquer background serves as a neutral color that enhances its surrounding materials and highlights the works of art on display. Two examples dating to the Qianlong period include a nine-panel jade-inlaid zitan folding screen, each panel set with jade characters from a one-thousand-word essay composed by the Qianlong Emperor on a subtle blue-grey lacquer ground and a jichimu-inlaid zitan throne screen, both illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 224, no. 193 and p. 236, no. 201. Other material combinations finished with a blue-grey lacquer ground include a Qianlong-period small bamboo-veneered and glass display shelf, the interior set with three tiers of shelves, all lacquered in this blue-grey color highlighting the natural yellow and orange-brown tones of the bamboo, illustrated ibid., pp. 260-262, no. 221.

Several extant examples of /display shelves of this smaller, more delicate proportions dating to the Yongzheng-Qianlong period are found in the Palace Museum, Beijing. A Yongzheng-Qianlong bamboo-inlaid zitan display shelf, raised on ruyi-scroll feet and fitted with doors around a central display shelf and a Qianlong-period gilt-decorated catalpa display shelf, intricately carved with scroll-work and open shelving, both of similar proportions to the present zitan display shelf, are illustrated in ibid. p. 255, no. 217 and pp. 258-259, no. 220. It is likely that present display shelf was part of a larger design and specifically commissioned for an intended space.

Lot 3. A walnut side table, China, 18th century; 86.6 cm high, 233 cm wide, 135 cm deep. Price realised GBP 40,640 (Estimate GBP 30,000 – GBP 50,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026
 

Literature: M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture: A Very Personal Point of View, London, 2011, pp. 200-203.

Lot 22. A huanghuali flush-corner stool, China, 18th century; 48.3 cm high, 32.3 cm wide, 27 cm deep. Price realised GBP 33,020 (Estimate GBP 25,000 – GBP 35,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Provenance: Wang Ducheng, Hong Kong, 2005.

Curtis Evarts, Hong Kong, 2005.

Literature: M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture VIII, New York, Spring 2006, no. 5.

M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture: A Very Personal Point of View, London, 2011, pp. 114-117.

Note: No other Chinese furniture design better showcases the tenets of pure form and balanced proportions than this magnificently austere flush-corner stool. The attractively grained, solid panel top is set directly above square-section legs joined by plain aprons and square-section humpback stretchers flush to the legs. The lines are restrained yet fluid, deviating only at the gently flared hoof-form foot. The sophisticated design and superb carpentry are typical of the Suzhou region and deftly combines the brilliant technical genius of Chinese joinery with a sleek design, focused on nuanced line, elegant proportions, and understated volume.

Furniture of this form is likely derived from the earlier method of box-construction and is a construction technique used for tables, day beds, or display stands. A huanghuali square stand of similar construction with a framed top is illustrated by N. Grindley et al., Pure Form: Classical Chinese Furniture: Vok Collection, Padua, 2004, pl. 35. A waistless, flush-corner huanghuali table was sold at Christie’s New York, 22 March 2024, lot 1106.

Lot 26. A heitan 'official's hat' armchair, China, 18th century; 106.3 cm high, 65.2 cm wide, 47.5 cm deep. Price realised GBP 22,860 (Estimate GBP 25,000 – GBP 30,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2026

Provenance: Artasia, Taipei, 1999.

MD Flacks Ltd., New York, 2000.

Daniel Shapiro Collection, New York, 2016.

Literature: M. Flacks, Classical Chinese Furniture III. Woods of China, New York, Autumn 1998, no. 1.

Christie's. The Flacks Family Collection II: Curtain Call, London, 12 May 2026