A PAIR OF FINE HUANGHUALI ROUND-CORNER CABINETS, YUANJIAOGUI
18th century
Each with a rounded-edged cabinet top between narrow flat bands, resting on four recessed slightly splayed stiles, the front with a pair of single-panel doors, each within a frame and fitted with a metal plate with a lock receptacle and door pull, and above a stretcher and plain shaped apron, the side aprons similarly left plain, the interior divided into three compartments and a pair of drawers. 141.5cm (55 3/4in) high x 74.5cm (29 1/2in) wide x 37cm (14 1/2in) deep (2).
Footnotes:
十八世紀 黃花梨圓角櫃一對

Provenance: Ambassador Dag Malm (1923-2008), Sweden, acquired in Beijing,
and thence by descent

來源: Dag Malm (1923-2008)大使，瑞典，從北京獲得，並由後人保存迄今

Dag Malm was born in 1923 in Rahlstadt, Germany. His father was a Swedish businessman operating in Argentina and his mother Norwegian. He grew up in Germany but moved to Sweden when the Second World War broke out. In 1947 he was employed as an attaché in the Foreign Ministry and had placements in Washington D.C., Tokyo (late 1940s), Beijing (circa 1950-1953) and New York. In 1964–1967 he served as Ambassador in Kinshasa. Malm was appointed Head of Office at the Swedish Committee of Foreign Affairs in 1971, and in 1975 he was Inspector of the foreign administration and Head of Expedition/Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' administrative department 1978–1981. In 1981-1988 he was Ambassador in Vienna. After his retirement, he settled down in Södermanland. According to his life-partner, Hans Arvidson, the pair of cabinets was acquired when Mr Dag Malm was posted in Beijing.

Cabinets of this style are commonly known as yuanjiaogui, or 'round-corner cabinets', and were highly esteemed by the literati during the Ming dynasty. The featured piece showcases the ingenious and aesthetically pleasing design characteristic of classical Chinese furniture, achieved through the skilful integration of flat surfaces and rounded elements, as well as the incorporation of four recessed stiles gently sloping outward from the top corners. As observed by G.N. Kates, Chinese Household Furniture, New York, 1948, p.32, these cabinets demonstrate the craftsmen's remarkable ability to manipulate rigid wood with such mastery that the observer perceives the design as if it were alive and dynamic. This classic Ming style continued in popularity well into the 18th and 19th century.

For a Ming period example from which the present lot borrows heavily in style, see a similar pair of cabinets, late Ming/early Qing dynasty, but also without a central stile, in the collection of Dr S.Y. Yip, illustrated by G.Wu Bruce, Dreams of Chu Tan Chamber and the Romance with Huanghuali Wood: The Dr. S.Y. Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture, Hong Kong, 1991, no.47. The absence of a central stile in the present pair of cabinets indicates that the doors were likely not intended to be fastened with locks.

See a slightly smaller single huanghuali cabinet, 18th/19th century, which was sold at Christie's London, 7 November 2017, lot 188. See also a single huanghuali cabinet, 19th century, also without a central stile, 19th century, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 17 September 2016, lot 1002.
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * TP Y
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TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information.

For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.
Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the UK, see clause 13.