A Pair of Huanghuali Square Corner Kang Cabinets

Late Ming Dynasty
Cabinet
Cocobolo (Huanghuali), Cupronickel

• The cabinet tops are expertly crafted with mitered corner joints, bolstered by a pair of strong through tenons beneath for enhanced stability.
• Decorative touches on the door's inset panels include beaded edges and cusped aprons. Inside, a central compartment with a single shelf and two drawers is outfitted with polished baitong hardware, providing an elegant contrast.
• Doors of the cabinet are skillfully constructed with classic mitre, mortise, and tenon joinery, divided by mitred stretchers into three sections and featuring a removable central stile for versatility.
• Beneath the doors lies a beaded stretcher, from which a curvilinear apron, intricately carved with intertwining vines, extends, joined seamlessly to the legs and stretcher. Unadorned, beaded aprons on the sides offer a clean aesthetic, while the back remains understated. Baitong hinges and a central locking plate on the doors integrate beautifully with the overall metalwork design.
• The cabinet's solid frame is composed of four square uprights, each connected to the top with pyramid joints and accented with moulded and beaded elements at the intersection with the side and back panels. These uprights are linked by moulded and beaded stretchers, framing the floating panels on the sides and back.

Reference and image source: Sotheby's Hong Kong Limited