constructed with a top cabinet and a lower and larger cabinet supported on four legs, the top cabinet with a pair of hinged doors with a tripartite cusped metal plate with a lock receptacle and suspending reticulated door pulls, each door frame decorated with a cusped beaded inner edge framing a burl wood panel of highly figured grain, the interior divided into two shelves, the lower cabinet similarly modelled with a pair of hinged doors set with burl wood panels and decorated with a tripartite metal plate with a lock receptacle and suspending door pulls, all above a lower burl wood section divided into three sections with two horizontal huanghuali-veneer bands, the front and sides further decorated with similar plain straight aprons, the interior divided into three shelves, the central one comprising two drawers

The reverse of the compound cabinet and the base of the top cabinet are covered in original lacquer. It also retains its original finish. However, the burlwood on the doors and the front apron are later replacements. Originally probably with only one drawer in the middle, the interior of the main cabinet has been altered, appearing slightly shorter and shallower, with added shelved, modified softwood drawers and lower compartments. The side boards of both the main and the top cabinet are made of softwood. There are a few restuck flakes to the huanghuali veneer, especially to the top edges, as well as stabilised age cracks, typical dents and scratches.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This cabinet is striking for its large yet elegant form, enlivened by the attractive contrasts created through the use of huanghuali and the natural burls that grow on a tree trunk and root, which create wonderful patterns that appear alive. Although highly sought after by scholars of the Ming and Qing period, burlwood was rarely used on furniture as large boards were difficult to obtain. The unexpected and delightful swirling patterns created by the burls well suited the literati who were attracted by nature’s intrinsic beauty.

Known as sijiangui (four-part wardrobes), cabinets of such grand size and surmounted with ‘hat chests’ were designed to convey monumentality and strength. They were commonly displayed both in the reception rooms of a stately home, and in the women’s apartments, where they were used to store garments. Their scale altered any sense of proportion rendering other forms quite diminutive. In the novel Hong lou meng [Dream of the red chamber] by Cao Xueqin (d. 1763), Granny Liu describes her astonishment at seeing such wardrobes at the Jia family’s mansion: “That great wardrobe of yours is higher and wider than one of our rooms back home. I’m not surprised you keep a ladder in the backyard… it must be for getting things out of the compartment on top of that wardrobe of yours, for you could never reach it else” (in Sarah Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkley, 2001, p. 262).

A pair of similar huanghuali cabinets with huamu boards, from the collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, was sold at Christie’s New York, 18th March 2015, lot 131; and a larger pair is illustrated in George N. Kates, Chinese Household Furniture, New York, 1948, pl. 1. See also a pair of huanghuali and zhengmu cabinets, but with a further two panels above the lockplate, was sold at a Christie🌟’s New York, 15th September 2011, lot 1357.