A Tall Pair of Late Ming or Early Qing Dynasty Huanghuali Wood Square-Corner Cabinets
Height: 85.5 in (217 cm), Width: 49.25 in (125 cm), Depth: 23.5 in (60 cm) Circa 1600-1700
These majestic cabinets are unique, not only for their unusual height and large proportions, but also for the vigorous grain pattern of the haunghuali on the front door panels, resembling mountainous landscapes in Song dynasty paintings.By selecting these long, lush planks for the door panel construction, the cabinet-maker has achieved a stunning, yet pleasing, visual effect without the necessity of relief carving, thus revealing the artisan's tendancy throughout Chinese history for making the best use of the intrinsic beauty of his materials in perfecting and completing his overall design.The purity of Ming hardwood furniture is reflected in these cabinets: their structure and shape, their lustre and polish, and the simplicity and design of their hardware. It is rare to find square-corner cabinets of such style and height, especially when they are a matching pair.
A square corner cabinet (Height 75.5 in./192 cm) with rounded, concave frame members and cusped lower aprons is illustrated in Wang Shixiang's Classic Chinese Furniture, Plate 147. Another square corner cabinet (Height 78 in/198 cm) with scrolled apron carving (but no horizontal lower panel) is illustrated by Gustave Ecke, Chinese Domestic Furniture, Plate 131/Piece 104