Lot 14. A Huanghuali Recessed-Leg Table, Pingtouan, Late Ming Dynasty; 83 by 201 by 46cm., 32 5/8 by 79 1/8 by 18 1/8 in. Estimate 50,000 — 70,000 GBP. Lot sold 749,000 GBP. © Sotheby's 2015

the solid top with 'ice-plate' edge, the round legs joined by a plain straight apron with apron-head spandrels and the front and back legs secured by pairs of cross braces.

Provenance: Purchased from Hei Hung-Lu, Hong Kong, late 1980s/early 1990s.

Note: Tables of this minimalist form appear to have been one of the most versatile pieces of furniture. Illustrations from Ming and Qing sources reveal its multiple uses, from altars to painting tables and side tables, with its light and simple form allowing it to be easily moved from one location to another as required. This classic form has its origins in architectural forms as evidenced in its bare structural lines. Historically referred to as a ‘character one table type’ (yi zi zhou shi) as the single horizontal stroke of the Chinese character for the numeral ‘one’ bears resemblance to this linear table, this descriptive term is taken from the Wanli period edition of the Lu Ban jing jiang jia jing (The Classic of Lu Ban and the Craftsman’s Mirror).

This table is notable for its large size and the single panel top shows the exceptional quality and enormity of size of the tree from which it was fashioned. Compare a slightly larger example, attributed to the 17th century and with slightly thicker legs and frames, from the collection of Robert H. Ellsworth collection, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 17th March 2015, lot 42; and another sold at Bonhams New York, 17th September 2013, lot 8131. See also a table of this type, but with double panels, offered from this collection, lot 11.

A related table utilised as an altar, before which men give thanks to their ancestors, is illustrated in the album painting Portraits of Emperor Yongzheng in Ploughing and Weaving, included in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Paintings by the Court Artists of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 11, jia 23.