A Chinese hardwood 'Luohan' couch-bed, Qing Dynasty, possibly tieli wood, carved with dragons roundels, the whole raised on inward curved legs, 196cm long x 73cm high x 83cm wide Provenance: From a private collection purchased at Comptoir de la Main d'Or, Paris, 8th November 2000 and described on the receipt as early 20th century from Guangdong. The low-back couch-bed (chuang) with solid rails is among the simplest and most harmonious forms of Ming and Qing furniture. Evolved from ancient box-style platforms, it had developed, by the Ming dynasty, into the sophisticated corner-leg frame with the type of side railings seen here. Often used as the centerpiece in formal seating arrangements within a reception hall, the chuang was extremely versatile and could even be found in the scholar's studio and the women's quarters. Compare with a similar tielimu 17th century 'couch' bed, 97.129A-E, in the Minneapolis Institute of Art. 清 铁力木罗汉床 拍品来源：法国私人收藏，2000年购自巴黎