THE STORY:
Circa 1850 to 1890
Fujian Province, China
(Probably thence to a Taiwanese Temple)
Black, Red, Gold Lacquer over Wood
4 Functional Top-Row Drawers (small)
5 Decorative Panel Bottom-Row False Drawers
Remove the Top Drawers to Reveal a Huge Hidden Storage Compartment
(Designed to Hide Precious Temple or Family Valuables)
DEEPLY CARVED ANIMAL-THEMED PANELS WITH FLORAL ACCENTS
THROUGH-CARVED LATTICEWORK OF VEGETAL & FLORAL DESIGNS
PHOENIX, DEER, CATS, FISH, DRAGONS, CHIMERA
FUNCTIONAL AS:
(1) TRADITIONAL CHINESE ALTAR TABLE FOR BUDDHA, ANCESTOR PICTURES, FLOWERS, ETC.
(2) WESTERN-STYLE BUFFET (WIDE, LONG TABLE-TOP FOR SERVING, PLUS UTENSIL & DISHWARE STORAGE)
(3) BIGSCREEN T.V. STAND, LARGE ENOUGH & STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD ALMOST ANY SIZED T.V.
(4) ARTISTIC DESIGN CENTERPIECE (I.E. HOLLYWOOD REGENCY OR PAIR WITH A SCROLL, PAINTING, ETC.)
Provenance:
Sony Pictures Entertainment; Culver City, California
(Prop Auction; likely 1920s-1950s MGM / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer material)
Private Collection; Palos Verdes, California
San Francisco Art Market (after 2010)
Private Collection; Miami Beach, Florida
THE STORY:
I HAVE SPENT A LIFETIME SEEKING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CHINESE FURNITURE, FROM PURE ROSEWOOD PIECES TO LACQUERED CARVINGS, AND I CAN SAY WITH 100% HONESTY & TRUTH THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FINER EXAMPLE OF THIS PARTICULAR KIND OF DEEPLY CARVED AND LACQUERED SOUTHERN CHINESE ALTAR TABLE THAN THIS ONE!! NOT EVEN DURING MY TRAVELS TO THE ORIGINAL TEMPLES IN ASIA!!
IT IS NO ACCIDENT THAT THE PROVENANCE FOR THIS ALTAR TABLE LEADS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD MOVIE STUDIOS, SINCE THE DESIGNERS AND ART DIRECTORS WHO HAD TO RECREATE AUTHENTIC SCENES IN THE MOVIES THAT SET CULTURAL TOUCHSTONES THE WORLD OVER WERE THE GREATEST TASTEMAKERS THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN, AND THEY WOULD GO OUT, FIND THE BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL PIECES AVAILABLE, AND EVEN IMPORT THEM WHERE NECESSARY!!
In fact, part of the "HOLLYWOOD REGENCY" aesthetic was born of the work and imaginations of these great early production designers / art directors, who created such amazing visions as we saw in the most famous foundational classic Hollywood movies of all time, like Humphrey Bogart & Lauren Bacall's THE BIG SLEEP, where the main house interior (Geiger's place) is a veritable den of 1920s-1930s Chinoiserie, Japonisme, and genuine Qing Dynasty masterworks, in the same vein as this piece...
When it comes to Chinese altar tables of the finest quality, there are only two choices: the austere yellow rosewood (Huanghuali) pieces that boast comps in the millions of dollars (based upon current Chinese tastes & the rarity of the original wood), and the red & gold lacquered pieces, like this museum masterpiece on rare offer for you here, today, which command between $10,000 to $50,000+....only for the BEST examples.
In my collection for over a decade, I have traveled this gorgeous piece with me from one end of the USA to the other, from Miami Beach to Beverly Hills, beloved & treasured.
THIS IS - BAR NONE - WITHOUT QUESTION - THE FINEST OF ALL THE QING DYNASTY RED & GOLD CHINESE ALTAR TABLES I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY TRAVELS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
FULL STOP.
I HAVE BEEN PRIVY TO THE FINEST PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, AND THE OFFERINGS OF CHRISTIE'S AND SOTHEBY'S FROM HONG KONG TO LONDON TO NEW YORK TO PARIS TO MILAN TO BEVERLY HILLS. AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE EQUAL OF THIS STYLE OF ALTAR TABLE, ANYWHERE.
FOR THIS PARTICULAR STYLE, IT DOES NOT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS, AND ALL OTHER OFFERINGS I HAVE SEEN FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS ARE BUT PALE COMPARISONS, INFERIOR TRASH COMPARED TO THIS INCREDIBLE ARTWORK.
If one ventures to the ancient temples in TAIWAN, where the ethnic and genetic make-up of a large portion of the population consists of ancient migrants from FUJIAN, one will see in temples both large & small - both storied and hidden - this exact style of altar table reduplicated over and over again, provided the most central and sacred pride of place from Taipei to Taichung to Tainan, and most places in between.
With one important exception: THE ORIGINAL ALTAR TABLES LIKE THIS HAVE (IN MANY CASES) BEEN REMOVED AND STORED FOR SAFE-KEEPING, AND REPRODUCTIONS HAVE BEEN PUT IN THEIR PLACE TO GUARD AGAINST THE DECAY AND RUIN OF THE STORIED ANTIQUES SUCH AS THIS ONE.
It is not so much to guard against theft (as few possess the means to move a circa 7-foot long altar table that weighs as much as this), as it is to preserve the immense cultural value and heritage of the nation imbued in these masterpiece carvings.
Having BEEN to these countries and LIVED in these countries, I can vouch FROM EXPERIENCE that this piece is so gorgeous, it is BETTER THAN THE ONES I SAW IN THE OLD TEMPLES & FAMILY SHRINES OF TAIWAN AND CHINA!!!
IF YOU TRULY WANT THE BEST AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, YOU MUST BUY THIS ALTAR TABLE, AND NO OTHER!!
PLEASE NOTE: As a fellow collector, I have found my #1 PET PEEVE is when I spend thousands or tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands on a gorgeous antique, and it SMELLS BAD, SO I CANNOT ENJOY IT! THIS BEAUTIFUL PIECE NOT ONLY LOOKS GORGEOUS, BUT SMELLS CLEAN, AS WELL! VERY RARE!! In fact, having been used in a temple long ago, if you go into the drawers, you can still smell traces of sandalwood, incense, and that beautiful old temple scent only found in the real deal! You cannot fake that aroma, and it is wonderful!
THE STORY:
Circa 1850 to 1890
Fujian Province, China
(Probably thence to a Taiwanese Temple)
Black, Red, Gold Lacquer over Wood
4 Functional Top-Row Drawers (small)
5 Decorative Panel Bottom-Row False Drawers
Remove the Top Drawers to Reveal a Huge Hidden Storage Compartment
(Designed to Hide Precious Temple or Family Valuables)
DEEPLY CARVED ANIMAL-THEMED PANELS WITH FLORAL ACCENTS
THROUGH-CARVED LATTICEWORK OF VEGETAL & FLORAL DESIGNS
PHOENIX, DEER, CATS, FISH, DRAGONS, CHIMERA
FUNCTIONAL AS:
(1) TRADITIONAL CHINESE ALTAR TABLE FOR BUDDHA, ANCESTOR PICTURES, FLOWERS, ETC.
(2) WESTERN-STYLE BUFFET (WIDE, LONG TABLE-TOP FOR SERVING, PLUS UTENSIL & DISHWARE STORAGE)
(3) BIGSCREEN T.V. STAND, LARGE ENOUGH & STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD ALMOST ANY SIZED T.V.
(4) ARTISTIC DESIGN CENTERPIECE (I.E. HOLLYWOOD REGENCY OR PAIR WITH A SCROLL, PAINTING, ETC.)
Provenance:
Sony Pictures Entertainment; Culver City, California
(Prop Auction; likely 1920s-1950s MGM / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer material)
Private Collection; Palos Verdes, California
San Francisco Art Market (after 2010)
Private Collection; Miami Beach, Florida
THE STORY:
I HAVE SPENT A LIFETIME SEEKING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CHINESE FURNITURE, FROM PURE ROSEWOOD PIECES TO LACQUERED CARVINGS, AND I CAN SAY WITH 100% HONESTY & TRUTH THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FINER EXAMPLE OF THIS PARTICULAR KIND OF DEEPLY CARVED AND LACQUERED SOUTHERN CHINESE ALTAR TABLE THAN THIS ONE!! NOT EVEN DURING MY TRAVELS TO THE ORIGINAL TEMPLES IN ASIA!!
IT IS NO ACCIDENT THAT THE PROVENANCE FOR THIS ALTAR TABLE LEADS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD MOVIE STUDIOS, SINCE THE DESIGNERS AND ART DIRECTORS WHO HAD TO RECREATE AUTHENTIC SCENES IN THE MOVIES THAT SET CULTURAL TOUCHSTONES THE WORLD OVER WERE THE GREATEST TASTEMAKERS THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN, AND THEY WOULD GO OUT, FIND THE BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL PIECES AVAILABLE, AND EVEN IMPORT THEM WHERE NECESSARY!!
In fact, part of the "HOLLYWOOD REGENCY" aesthetic was born of the work and imaginations of these great early production designers / art directors, who created such amazing visions as we saw in the most famous foundational classic Hollywood movies of all time, like Humphrey Bogart & Lauren Bacall's THE BIG SLEEP, where the main house interior (Geiger's place) is a veritable den of 1920s-1930s Chinoiserie, Japonisme, and genuine Qing Dynasty masterworks, in the same vein as this piece...
When it comes to Chinese altar tables of the finest quality, there are only two choices: the austere yellow rosewood (Huanghuali) pieces that boast comps in the millions of dollars (based upon current Chinese tastes & the rarity of the original wood), and the red & gold lacquered pieces, like this museum masterpiece on rare offer for you here, today, which command between $10,000 to $50,000+....only for the BEST examples.
In my collection for over a decade, I have traveled this gorgeous piece with me from one end of the USA to the other, from Miami Beach to Beverly Hills, beloved & treasured.
THIS IS - BAR NONE - WITHOUT QUESTION - THE FINEST OF ALL THE QING DYNASTY RED & GOLD CHINESE ALTAR TABLES I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY TRAVELS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
FULL STOP.
I HAVE BEEN PRIVY TO THE FINEST PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, AND THE OFFERINGS OF CHRISTIE'S AND SOTHEBY'S FROM HONG KONG TO LONDON TO NEW YORK TO PARIS TO MILAN TO BEVERLY HILLS. AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE EQUAL OF THIS STYLE OF ALTAR TABLE, ANYWHERE.
FOR THIS PARTICULAR STYLE, IT DOES NOT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS, AND ALL OTHER OFFERINGS I HAVE SEEN FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS ARE BUT PALE COMPARISONS, INFERIOR TRASH COMPARED TO THIS INCREDIBLE ARTWORK.
If one ventures to the ancient temples in TAIWAN, where the ethnic and genetic make-up of a large portion of the population consists of ancient migrants from FUJIAN, one will see in temples both large & small - both storied and hidden - this exact style of altar table reduplicated over and over again, provided the most central and sacred pride of place from Taipei to Taichung to Tainan, and most places in between.
With one important exception: THE ORIGINAL ALTAR TABLES LIKE THIS HAVE (IN MANY CASES) BEEN REMOVED AND STORED FOR SAFE-KEEPING, AND REPRODUCTIONS HAVE BEEN PUT IN THEIR PLACE TO GUARD AGAINST THE DECAY AND RUIN OF THE STORIED ANTIQUES SUCH AS THIS ONE.
It is not so much to guard against theft (as few possess the means to move a circa 7-foot long altar table that weighs as much as this), as it is to preserve the immense cultural value and heritage of the nation imbued in these masterpiece carvings.
Having BEEN to these countries and LIVED in these countries, I can vouch FROM EXPERIENCE that this piece is so gorgeous, it is BETTER THAN THE ONES I SAW IN THE OLD TEMPLES & FAMILY SHRINES OF TAIWAN AND CHINA!!!
IF YOU TRULY WANT THE BEST AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, YOU MUST BUY THIS ALTAR TABLE, AND NO OTHER!!
PLEASE NOTE: As a fellow collector, I have found my #1 PET PEEVE is when I spend thousands or tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands on a gorgeous antique, and it SMELLS BAD, SO I CANNOT ENJOY IT! THIS BEAUTIFUL PIECE NOT ONLY LOOKS GORGEOUS, BUT SMELLS CLEAN, AS WELL! VERY RARE!! In fact, having been used in a temple long ago, if you go into the drawers, you can still smell traces of sandalwood, incense, and that beautiful old temple scent only found in the real deal! You cannot fake that aroma, and it is wonderful!
