Chinese Qing Dynasty Carved Hardwood Display Stand, Prunus and Birds, Dali Marble Inset, Canton Export, ca. 1890–1910
Original price was: € 250,00.€ 150,00Current price is: € 150,00.
Antique Chinese low display stand in carved hongmu-type hardwood, featuring a fully pierced prunus and bird apron, Dali marble circular inset, and a central carved peony stretcher boss. Canton export workshop, late Qing Dynasty, circa 1890–1910.
Out of stock
A refined example of late Qing Dynasty Canton export furniture, this circular low display stand combines accomplished hardwood carving with a warm Dali marble inset in a format that was among the most coveted of Chinese decorative arts objects in the European market of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The circular top frames a central inset of Dali stone — a decorative marble from Yunnan province, prized in Chinese aesthetics for its naturally occurring landscape-like veining — set within a segmented hongmu-type hardwood surround and edged by a continuous low-relief frieze of prunus branches in blossom.
The fully pierced apron below is carved in high relief with prunus branches bearing open blossoms, buds, and leaves, animated throughout by naturalistically rendered birds in flight and at rest among the branches — a motif of considerable symbolic resonance in Chinese decorative tradition, evoking longevity, renewal, and the beauty of the natural world. The carving is three-dimensional and confident, with the individual birds given distinct character and posture.
The four cabriole legs continue the prunus branch vocabulary along their full length, terminating in small scrolled feet. The X-form stretcher is joined at its centre by a carved boss in the form of overlapping peony and camellia blossoms — a sculptural detail of particular refinement that rewards close inspection.
The overall surface presents a deep, even dark patina consistent with genuine age, and the marble inset retains its original placement and warm ochre-and-brown coloring.
Pieces of this type were produced in the Canton (Guangzhou) workshops for export to Europe and America, where they served as display stands for porcelain, bronzes, or plants.
Origin / Designer / Manufacturer / Period / Style / Material / Dimensions
- Origin: Canton (Guangzhou), China — export workshop
- Designer: Anonymous master carver
- Period: Late Qing Dynasty, circa 1890–1910
- Style: Chinese export furniture / Qing Dynasty decorative arts
- Material: Hongmu-type carved hardwood, Dali marble inset
- Dimensions (approx.):
- Diameter: ~28 cm
- Height: ~35 cm
Condition Good antique condition consistent with age. Deep patina throughout, minor surface wear and small losses consistent with use and age. Marble inset intact and original. Structurally sound.
| Condition | Good, Restored |
|---|---|
| Material | Wood |
| Origin | China |
| Period | 1850-1900 |
| Style | Qing Dynasty |
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