A RARE QIANGJIN AND TIANQI LACQUER 'DRAGON' STAND, EARLY QING DYNASTY China, 17th-18th century. Of rectangular form, supported on four outward-curving legs with scrolled feet joined by stretchers, finely painted and incised to the top with a central four-clawed dragon and flaming pearl, within a shaped cartouche against a diapered ground and framed by a scroll border the aprons and legs with flowers on leafy stems, insects, and similar scroll border, the stretchers with ruyi-shaped clouds and scrolling tendrils. Provenance: Collection of Robert Rousset (1901-1982) and thence by descent to the present owner. Two collector's labels, '575' and '310', from an old inventory of the Robert Rousset collection, by repute conducted before 1935. Robert Rousset was a former radio officer in the merchant navy. He is one of the most prominent French pioneers of the Chinese art market in Paris. As a child, his father, an insurance agent, would take him to Hôtel Drouot where he started to buy at a young age. His true passion for Asian art started in the 1920s, when he was sent on a mission to Beijing after the decline of the Qing empire, along with Osvald Siren, the famous Swedish Asian art historian and connoisseur. He then became one of the main contributors of Chinese antiques for the Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes, founded in Paris in the early 20th century by the Blazy brothers. After the 1929 stock market crash, he had the opportunity to acquire the company. With his sister Suzanne in charge of the porcelain, they developed the business and became one of the most important dealers in France, selling pieces to the greatest museums, including the Musee Guimet and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Condition: Overall good condition with some wear, natural age cracks, a larger crack to one apron, possibly with minor old touchups (inspected under strong blue light). Weight: 461.1 g Dimensions: Size 39 x 13 x 19.2 cm Expert's note: This table appears to be a miniature version of the low side tables produced in various woods during the late Ming Dynasty. While the dragon subject executed in this specific lacquer technique appears in the auction market time and again (see Auction result comparison), the form of the present lot is very rare. Literature comparison: Compare a similar example but with paired dragon decoration in the center illustrated by Fang Jing Pei, Treasures of the Chinese Scholar, 1997, figure 55, page 70. For a box and cover worked in the same technique see Robert D. Jacobsen, Appreciating China: Gifts from Ruth and Bruce Dayton, no. 65, page 122, where the author notes that the Tianqi technique was also popular for decorating fine lacquer furniture during the Ming and early Qing dynasties. Auction result comparison: Compare a large lobed box and cover, dated to the 18th century, at Christie's Hong Kong in Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 1 December 2010, lot 3036, sold for HKD 524,000. Compare also a related but much larger incense stand, dated to the Kangxi period, at Sotheby's Hong Kong in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 8 October 2014, lot 3795, sold for HKD 1,480,000. 清初罕見戧金填漆雲龍紋小几 中國，十七至十八世紀。長方形，四凹腿四邊相連，正面中央如意形開光内可見四爪龍游戲火珠。四周錦地，邊緣長方卷草紋帶。腿上雕刻花卉紋、昆蟲以及經卷紋以及如意祥雲紋。 來源：Collection of Robert Rousset (1901-1982) and thence by descent to the present owner. Two collector's labels, '575' and '310', from an old inventory of the Robert Rousset collection, by repute conducted before 1935. Robert Rousset (1901-1982) 收藏。背面有舊商家標籤 575和310。Robert Rousset曾是商船的無線電通信官。 他是法國巴黎的中國藝術市場最傑出的先驅之一。他的父親是一名保險代理人，會帶他去 Hôtel Drouot拍賣行，孩提時代他就開始購買藝術品。 他對亞洲藝術的真正熱情始於 1920 年代，當時清朝沒落，他與瑞典著名亞洲藝術史學家和鑑賞家 Osvald Siren 一起被派往北京。 隨後，他成為二十世紀初由 Blazy 兄弟在巴黎創立的 Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes 旗下中國古董的主要合作者之一。1929 年股市崩盤後，他有機會收購了這家公司。在他負責瓷器的妹妹 Suzanne的帶領下，他們發展了這項業務，並成為法國最重要的經銷商之一，向最大的博物館，包括吉美博物館和大都會藝術博物館，出售古董。 品相：總體狀況良好，有一些磨損，自然老化裂紋，一處擋板上有較大裂紋，可能有輕微的舊時修部（藍光下檢查）。 重量：461.1 克 尺寸：39 x 13 x 19.2 厘米 專家注釋：這張小几子似乎是明末用各種木材製作的矮邊桌的縮小版。 雖然這種特殊的戧金填漆龍紋家具在拍賣市場上屢屢出現（見拍賣結果對比），但現拍品的形式非常罕見。 拍賣結果比較：一件大型葵口蓋盒，十八世紀，見香港佳士得Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2010年12月1日 lot 3036, 售價HKD 524,000。另一件相似但更大的香几，康熙年，見香港蘇富比 Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2014年10月8日 lot 3795, 售價HKD 1,480,000。