A RARE IMPERIAL ZITAN 'DRAGON' CABINET, KANGGUI18th century The cabinet of rectangular shape with square corners, inset on front and sides with well carved panels, each enclosing a writhing five-clawed dragon amidst swirling clouds, fitted with a pair of doors to the front opening to reveal the interior fitted with a shelf above two drawers and a covered storage well, the conforming upper section similarly constructed, the interior plain, all supported on four gilt mounted short legs joined by cloud-scroll spandrelled aprons. 60.5cm (25 6/8in) high x 35cm (13 6/8in) wide x 17cm (6 5/8in) deep 十八世紀 御製紫檀雕雲龍紋炕櫃 Provenance : an English private collection, and thence by descent; the cabinet is illustrated in an old family card showing an interior 來源 ：英國私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今 It is highly likely that the present cabinet was acquired by Captain Stephen Bowles - Evans RN (1876-1918). It is known that he made voyages to Asia and was an extremely keen collector of Chinese and Japanese works of art. In 1911 he served on H.M.S. Hindustan, at the same time as the then Prince of Wales, later H.R.H Edward VIII. In 1918 he died from Spanish Flu. Superbly carved with ferocious scaly five-clawed dragons among tumultuous waves, the present cabinet is constructed from the finest quality zitan wood, a material reserved for the Imperial Court. The subject matter of five-clawed dragons, and the high quality of the carving, point strongly to it being made for the Imperial family. pact cabinets such as the present example were constructed of two matched cabinets stacked on top of each other, each fitted with a pair of doors. This type, was known as a kanggui , as it was suitable for use on the kang , a hollow brick platform where hot air is driven through to create a warm living space. The manufacturing process of this cabinet involved theplex blend of five essential fields: symbolism of the imagery, aesthetic taste, design, material and craftsman. The entireposition symbolises the emperor's rule of the earth and the sky. Such imagery, historically popular among, and exclusive to, the Imperial family, thus places the present cabinet in the highest class of Chinese furniture. The design of confronted dragons - primary representation of the emperor's supremacy - reflects how the emperor wished to present himself: a benevolent ruler and ultimate authority of the empire. The cabinet encapsulates the exacting taste of the Qianlong emperor, who created a legacy of great Imperial splendour and he surrounded himself with furnishings, object and artefacts that represented his passion for sumptuous display demonstrating the prosperity of the empire at its peak. pare with a pair of similar zitan cabinets of similar size and design, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 3 May 1977, lot 24. See also a largerpound cabinet carved with dragons, in the Qing Court Collection, Beijing, illustrated in Thep