I have heard the word Huanghuali before, but the first time I saw Huanghuali and was attracted to it was in a specialty store of Yuan Henry Hardwood Furniture.
At that time, the price of Huanghuali was already on the basis of catties, and it seemed that there was no longer much room for appreciation. Out of love, I stubbornly bought some for my own enjoyment. In the following ten years, the price of Huanghuali logs rose more than 100 times, which was unexpected.
In China's historical and cultural heritage, the understanding and appreciation of art such as calligraphy and painting, gold and stone, and jade requires the accumulation of profound knowledge of traditional culture before it can have the ability to perceive. Therefore, the traditional Chinese utensils culture, which is most easily recognized and loved by other peoples in the world, seems to be the first to recommend ceramics and furniture. The pinnacle of Chinese furniture art is recognized by the world, and it should be the first to recommend Ming-style furniture, and the preferred material for Ming-style furniture is Huanghuali wood.
Chinese's pursuit of material beauty has a long history, gold, fat jade, beautiful stone, silk satin, etc., created by external teachers, and internally originated, all represent the aesthetic sustenance and value recognition of all dynasties, alluding to the spiritual morality of Tianli and human ethics and the obedience and worship of natural selection. The natural magnificence of Huanghuali and the solemnity of red sandalwood are the inevitable cause and effect of making them outstanding among the ten thousand trees and becoming the first choice of furniture in the Ming and Qing dynasties. After hundreds of years in China and more than 100 years in the world, they have been known by Chinese and even world culture and have become important assets.
The atlas of "Zhenmutang Ming and Qing Dynasty Furniture Treasures" allows us to get infinitely close to the great beauty of history and confirms the heavenly achievements of our ancestors. We have to be in awe, and we have to be moved by the artistic achievements of our Chinese nation, and sigh!
I'm sure ,...... These treasures, these real and far-reaching images and texts, will become important historical materials for the inheritance of Chinese wood art. ...... The light and shadow, the void and the real, the surface and the inside, the light and the dark, the ingenious and the clumsy, the form and the metaphysical, are all permeated with the Confucian system of square and round etiquette, the Taoist spirit of purity, and the ethereal selflessness of Buddhism...... It is like a mirror that can be traversed, with an insight into the morning and dusk life, etiquette, life and aesthetic character of the Chinese scholars for thousands of years, which is enough to attract our descendants, and even the whole world, to express sincere admiration for the ancient oriental civilization.
Text/Haiyan
The article is excerpted from the second preface of "Zhenmutang: Furniture Treasures of the Ming and Qing Dynasties".
Written in Beijing on June 10, 2012
Zhenmutang treasures
Lot 1836
Late Ming Dynasty
Huanghuali single-back strap on the brain
71×60.5×92.7 cm
116.8×60.5×14 cm（折叠尺寸）
出版：《明-中国家具的黄金时期》（Ming: The Golden Age of Chinese Furniture）,Collection Lu Ming Shi, Musée national des Arts asiatiques-Guimet, 图26，P112-115
This chair was once the collection of Philippe Debaget, a Belgian collector of Ming-style furniture, and was exhibited at the Musée Guimet in France in 2003.
The chair is made of yellow pear, with an old leather backrest and seat surface, which is comfortable to sit on. The middle of the brain is pillow-shaped, and the wood grain is clear and beautiful. The C-shaped backrest and back legs provide a comfortable and inclusive backrest. The components are mostly round wood, and there are pedals between the front legs. This chair is full of light, balanced proportions, stretched lines, reasonable structure, comfortable ride, and simplicity.
Jiao Chair originated from an early form of seating: the Hu bed. The Hu bed is the first high-type seat in the history of the mainland, it is composed of eight wooden sticks, can be folded, easy to carry around, and is a seat introduced by nomads. "Southern History, Western Regions, Slippery Country": "There is no city, the yurt house is the residence, and the account is opened in the east. The king sat on the golden bed, turned with the Tai Sui, and sat with his wife to receive guests. The gold bed here is the chair with gold ornaments. Gao Cheng of the Song Dynasty quoted "Customs and Customs" in the "Chronicle of Affairs": "Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty is good at Hu clothes, Jingshi is a Hu bed, and the porcelain covers its beginning, and the chair is also today." Song Zeng Sanyi's "Because of the Words": "The rope bed that is said to be relied on is made by Yidi, and Ou Gong is not royal." "The Ming Dynasty chair inherits the Song style, can be divided into two kinds of straight back and round back, mostly set up in the hall of the prominent position, for the seat of the Venerable, there is the tendency to override the four seats, so the folk saying has "the first chair", after entering the Qing Dynasty, it is gradually used less and less in actual life, and the maker is becoming scarce.
Lot 1837
Late Ming Dynasty
Huanghuali single-board large shelf several cases
403×59×86.5cm，
独板案面：403×59×9 cm
架几尺寸：59×59×77.5 cm
The total weight is 233.4 kg, of which the case weighs 175.4 kg
Publication: Deng Xuesong, Zhenmutang: Ming and Qing Dynasty Furniture Treasures, People's Fine Arts Publishing House, 2012, pp. 124-127.
The case is made of a single board, its fiber is fine, so the texture is oily, and the jade is beautiful, so it is natural and unadorned. Dare to straighten the body, expose the mind, with one of the all, fully exposed in the world of carving and carving; And its lower span is several, and the word stretches out, such as a bridge frame river. The frame on both sides is connected with eight thick materials horizontally and vertically, made into a skeleton, square straight legs, inverted horseshoe, stepping on the mud, using luxurious materials, so that the board is ambitious, and can gain a foothold. The overall shape of this case is handsome, the body is magnificent, and the momentum is breathtaking, which can be called the only product of the world, and the unique weapon of the world!
The case surface of several cases is mostly made of thick materials, and the charm is magnificent, and it can be combined with a few points. If it is made for the edge of the side, it will be clapped with the hand, and it will make a loud sound, and the craftsman calls it "ringing". The case of the Ming-style shelf, multi-light plain without decoration, can be used to shelf scrolls, can be placed incense burner, deeply loved by literati. The large ones are often placed on the north wall in the middle of the hall, or in front of the indoor screen, on which vases and small seats are placed to create an elegant style, and the small ones can be placed along the window sill to divide the indoor and outdoor spaces and increase harmony.
——"Zhenmutang Ming and Qing Dynasty Furniture Treasures"
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This case is the thickest piece of Huanghuali material, winning with a rare single plate surface of large wood, the case is 9 cm thick, 403 cm long, and 56 cm wide, which is a rare and amazing thick material in the market. The box-shaped frame on both sides is connected by eight thick materials horizontally and vertically, making a skeleton, and the rounded corners intersect, and the craftsmanship is exquisite. The shelves are simple and neat, there are no lines along the edges, simple and concise to the extreme, and there is quite an aesthetic concept of "less is more". The solid horseshoe foot falls on the supporting mud, the structure is smooth, and the momentum is majestic.
The thickness and length of this case are considerable, and the wood grain flows, clear and beautiful. The large case is generous and benevolent, and it is displayed in the hall, and the structural beauty of its shape can be seen from afar, and the rhythmic beauty of the texture can be appreciated closely, which is a large instrument that can show the taste.
Lot 1838
Early Qing Dynasty
Huanghuali Ganoderma lucidum pattern rose chair in four halls
57×45×83 cm
Publication: Deng Xuesong, Zhenmutang: Ming and Qing Dynasty Furniture Treasures, People's Fine Arts Publishing House, 2012, pp. 20-25.
This chair is rare in shape, with the characteristics of both the rose chair and the Nanguan hat chair, which is a variant, because its seat is slightly higher and the back is slightly lower, so it is temporarily classified as a rose chair. The whole body is made of Luo pot as a horizontal material, showing a wave of twists and turns, the length is dwarfed, and the curve echoes. The two ends of the head are slightly drooping, the middle section is leaned back, and the tobacco bag pot tenon is connected to the upper end of the hind legs, and reinforced with copper ornaments to prevent damage. This chair is not equipped with a backrest panel, the scenery is clear, and it feels very psychic, but there are two horizontal bars between the rear columns. Between the two fangs, the Ganoderma lucidum card flower is decorated, the Ganoderma lucidum posture is fresh, the branches and leaves are full, and the knife technique is smart, so as to get the beauty of the natural growth of the plant. Under the handrail, the gang stick is placed, like the first lotus show upright, the goose neck is slightly curved, and the new shape is not opened. The seat surface is slotted and plated, which is a hard drawer with a mat and a pot under it. Standing on the double short old, between the legs step by step to catch the flap, only the front near the end of the foot of the place to repeat the Shi Luo pot fart, set up the double dwarf old, and on the foot of the tread and then lay wood chips, decorated with copper nails, in order to resist wear.
The rose chair is the favorite of the Jiangnan scribes, so it is also called the "literary chair", which is not as high as the window, and is often set up by the window. This chair is novel and chic, dignified and elegant, delicate and moving, very literate, can be described as a genius, ingenuity. After a hundred generations, the four chairs can still be preserved, and it is even more precious to gather together.
——"Zhenmutang Ming and Qing Dynasty Furniture Treasures"
The rose chairs in this hall are all original, and after hundreds of generations, they can still gather together, which is precious. Its multiple components make arcs, and the whole body is made of horizontal timber with Luo Guo fang, which is a wave of twists and turns, the length is dwarfed, and the curve echoes. This is not only a large material, but also shows the high level of craftsmanship, which has properties that are difficult to reproduce.
In terms of shape, it has the characteristics of both the rose chair and the Nanguan hat chair, which is a variant, because its seat is slightly higher and the back is slightly lower, so it is temporarily classified as a rose chair. The intersection of the brain and the legs and feet is reinforced with copper ornaments to prevent damage. The footboard is also covered with wood chips and decorated with copper nails to resist abrasion. These copper pieces and wood chips are all original and very rare.
Ganoderma lucidum pattern round carved card flower is another novel and unique feature of this rose chair, which reminds people of the plants and trees that grow in nature, the branches and leaves are full, fresh and vigorous, and the smart knife technique gives the utensils vitality.
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