Lot 78. A marble-inset huanghuali, stool, zuodun, 17th century; 43cm high. Sold for €35,840. Photo Bonhams.

Of barrel shape with the marble panel set into a hexagonal frame with a barbed and cusped outline, joined to six bowed legs joined by a curved low circular stretcher.

Provenance: Collection of Franz Hart (1910-1996), acquired from Ludwig Bretschneider (1909-1987), Munich (inventory no.560), in February 1962, thence by descent to his widow, Irene Hart (1914-2010), acquired from her collection.

Note: Compare a very similar pair of stools from the collection of Bruce and Ruth Dayton, gifted to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2001.32.2.1., possibly from the same set of stools. Barrel-form stools with four, five, or six openings were very popular during Ming dynasty (1368-1644), and are among the most pleasing forms in classical Chinese furniture. The slender ribs, large openings, and unobtrusive joinery combine to create an elegant, light, and airy spaceframe. The precision of the bridle and tenon joinery is refined and each of the curved sections fit together with remarkable accuracy, imparting a sense of structural continuity and visual harmony.

Bonhams - Cornette de Saint Cyr. CHINESE ART FROM A GERMAN FAMILY COLLECTION, Paris, 26 October 2023