A RARE RECTANGULAR HUANGHUALI KANG TABLE, 18TH CENTURY China. The well-figured single board floating panel top of typical miter, mortise and tenon construction, supported on the underside with two transverse stretchers, over a narrow waist and raised-edge apron neatly carved in shallow relief with ruyi heads to each side and joining the square-section legs ending in inverted L-shaped feet, each pair of legs conjoined on the shorter sides with a gently curved rectangular stretcher.

Provenance: From the collection of Dr. Ruth and Friedrich Boss, acquired in China between 1911 and 1938, and thence by descent in the same family. Dr. Ruth Boss (1888-1958) was the personal medical doctor of the Xuantong Empress (1906-1946), Consort of Puyi, the Last Emperor of China.
Condition: Excellent condition with fine age cracks, superb naturally grown patina, minor splits and gaps as expected, old wear and traces of use, some shallow surface scratches.

Dimensions: Length 106 cm, Height 34 cm, Depth 38 cm

Expert's note: The present table is notable for the inverted L-shaped feet, a feature that is rare in kang tables.

Literature comparison: Compare a related kang table, also raised on inverted L-shaped feet, but with a pierced apron and stretchers carved as archaistic scrolls, illustrated in R. H. Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch'ing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1979, p. 151, pl. 46 and 46a.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 25 March 2022, lot 1008
Price: USD 18,900 or approx. EUR 18,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare rectangular huanghuali kang table, 18^th century
Expert remark: Note the closely related form with similar inverted L-shaped feet. Note the size (157.8 cm)


十八世紀黃花梨炕桌
中國。桌面單板，傳統的榫眼和榫結構，束腰下牙條，沿邊起陽線，牙條中央淺浮雕如意紋，如意紋下向兩側迂迴成卷葉狀。牙條四角直接往下成方腿，方腿向内迂迴形成彎曲的L形足。

來源： Dr. Ruth 與 Friedrich Boss私人收藏，1911年至1938年間購於中國，自此保留在同一家族至今。Dr. Ruth Boss (1888-1958) 曾是末代皇帝溥儀之后婉容 (1906-1946) 的私人醫生。
品相：狀況良好，具有良好的自然年齡裂縫，極好的自然形成的包漿，預期中的細小
裂痕和縫隙，磨損和使用痕跡，表面些微淺劃痕。

尺寸：長106 厘米，高34 厘米，寬 38 厘米

專家注釋：這樣L形足的炕桌是很罕見的。

文獻比較：
比較一件相近的炕桌，也有相同的向内迂迴形成彎曲的L形足，但有一個穿孔的牙條和雕刻卷軸紋的底座，見R. H. Ellsworth，《Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch'ing Dynasties》，香港，1979年，頁151，編號46和46a。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2022年3月25日，lot 1008
價格：USD 18,900（相當於今日EUR 18,500）
描述：清十八世紀黃花梨長方形炕桌
專家評論：請注意非常相近的外型和向内迂迴形成彎曲的L形足。請注意尺寸(157.8 厘米)。