Chiswick Auctions’ May 20 sale in west London titled Wood Speaks: From Chinese furniture to Scholar’s Treasures includes a collection of 200 Qing dynasty carved wood displays. The stands, amassed over a period of almost 40 years, many from dealer Gerard Hawthorn, will be offered across 32 lots.
Stands, generally produced from the 17th century onwards to elevate and enhance the works of art they displayed, are garnering increasing interest in the market. The majority of examples in this collection were carved from hongmu, although there are also huali and zitan designs. Some were created from a single piece of wood while others were meticulously constructed from 30 or more individual pieces.
Pictured right are four examples: an 18th or 19th century silver and green-stained bone inlaid zitan stand, 3in (8cm), estimate £500-800; an early 18th century hongmu ‘chilong’ stand, 7in (18cm) diameter, £800-1200; an 18th or 19th century hongmu stand on five cabriole legs, 11in (27cm), £800-1200; an early 18th century hongmu stand with an openwork lotus flower, 7in (18cm) diameter, £800-1200.