Huanghuali recessed-leg painting table

Early Qing Period
Painting Table
Cocobolo (Huanghuali)
144.5 × 69.5 × 84 cm

• This Ming Dynasty painting table adheres to traditional design with its use of distinctive tooth-shaped ornaments, featuring long openings at the upper ends of the legs and feet where intricately carved tooth strips and cloud-patterned tooth-shaped ornaments are set, marking the piece with classic, yet varied, style elements.
• Constructed from the esteemed huanghuali wood, the table spans nearly seventy centimeters in width, offering a generous surface suitable for the dual pursuits of painting and reading, promoting both creativity and contemplation.
• The tabletop, with its precisely joined interlocking tenons and mitered corners, presents a seamlessly smooth and polished edge, indicative of skilled craftsmanship and attention to detail.
• Solid and square-shaped materials form the legs and feet, flanked by two ladder-like strips on the sides, also from square-shaped material, contributing to a design that is both simple and dynamic. The robustness of these elements not only adds visual weight and dignity to the table but also reflects the Ming tradition of favoring sturdy construction for functional furniture like painting tables.

Reference and image source: China Guardian (HK) Auctions Co., Ltd.