A HUANGHUALI RECESSED-LEG ALTAR TABLE, PINGTOU'AN 18th/19th centuryA HUANGHUALI RECESSED-LEG ALTAR TABLE, PINGTOU'AN18th/19th centuryThe well-figured rectangular top above the sides carved with double-reed bands, the shaped apron with terminals shaped as archaistic designs enclosing a continuous scrolls of blossoming lotus issuing from curling tendrils, each pair of the double-reeded legs with an open panel at the side. 148.5cm (58 3/8in) wide x 47cm (18 1/2in) deep x 79cm (31in) high.十八/十九世紀 黃花梨浮雕纏枝花卉紋平頭案Provenance: an English private collection 來源：英國私人收藏The present table is notable for the attractive grain and rich-chocolate-brown colour of its prized huanghuali wood and the shaped spandrels which are joined in tongue-grooved fashion to the trestle legs, providing additional structural support.The present shape is probably derived from an earlier prototype with upturned flanges, popular in wealthy households during the Ming and Qing dynasty, demonstrating the high status of their owners. Recessed-leg tables with flanges are discussed in Wen Zhenheng's (1585-1645) influential Treatise on Superfluous Things (Zhang wu zhi), a 17th century guide to refined taste. In this work, Wen mentions that such tables were placed against a wall and underneath a painting, holding seasonal flowers, scholar's rocks or miniature tray-landscapes. Compare with a related huanghuali altar table, late 17th/ early 18th century, without foliate carving, in the Honolulu Academy of Arts, illustrated by R.H.Ellsworth, Chinese Hardwood Furniture in Hawaiian Collections, Honolulu, 1982, pl.29.A related huanghuali altar table, early Qing dynasty, was sold at Bonhams London, 14 May 2015, lot 268; another related huanghuali altar table displaying a plain apron, late Qing dynasty, was sold at Bonhams New York, 16 March 2015, lot 8079.