69. 69Y IMPORTATE PAIRE D'ARMOIRES ET LEURS COFFRES EN BOIS DUR ET EN BOIS DE RONCE, SIJIANGUI XVIIIe siècle A RARE LARGE PAIR OF MIXED HARDWOOD AND BURLWOOD COMPOUND CABINETS AND HATCHESTS, SIJIANGUI 18th century Each cupboard with hat chest composed of two doors each set with a single framed burlwood panel carved with different flowers and grasses, separated by a removable stile opening to reveal a single shelf and framed by square vertical rails, all above a lower cabinet with two doors set with large framed well-figured burlwood panels similarly carved with flowers and grasses, fitted around a removable center stile, opening to reveal the shelved interior, the lower front panel similarly inset a single framed burlwood panel , all raised on thick circular legs in front and back, with gilt metal mounts finely incised with taotie masks, the interiors lacquered green. Cabinets with hat chests, burlwood panels with lacquer work showing various kind of grass, gilt copper fittings engraved with taotie masks, the interior with thick green lacquer surface. Each 191cm x 95.5cm x 47cm (75 1/4in x 37 5/8in x 18 1/2in ) (4). 十八世紀 硬木嵌癭木大四件櫃一對 Provenance: Manfred Schoeni, Hong Kong Collection Julius Eberhard (1936-2012), Vienna, acquired from Manfred Schoeni 24 May 1994, acquired from the estate of Julius Eberhard 來源： 香港文少勵（Manfred Schoeni） 維也納Julius Eberhard（1936-2012）珍藏，於1994年5月24日得自文少勵 現藏家得自上述來源 The compound cabinet is the most majestic piece of furniture in the Chinese cabinetmaker's repertoire. Known as sijiangui, (four-part wardrobes),' these compound cabinets were generally made in pairs, as is the present pair. Garments and large items would have been stored in the lower cabinets, while smaller items would have been kept in the top chests, often requiring the use of a ladder due to their massive size. Fitted with shelves and often with drawers, their generous size made them ideal for storing long scrolls, bolts of fabric, garments, and books. While the present cabinets are constructed with thick members of hongmu and the with richly textured huamu burlwood panes, the back legs and back panels are made from zhangmu, or camphor, and would have been employed to protect garments and other contents from moth and insect damage. The present pair of cabinets show the highly successful combination hongmu frame and huamu panels and are distinguished by their elegant proportions. The use of mixed wood forms a pleasing aesthetic, with the lighter hongmu providing an attractive contrast to the darker, swirled grain of the burl. Remarkably, both cabinets are inset with very large single panels of burl. It is extremely difficult to find burl panels of this size without numerous flaws, and this would confirm that even at the time they were made, the present cabinets would have been highly valued. Compare, also, a larger nanmu burl-inset huanghuali compound cabinet and hat chest dated to the 17th/18th century, from the Arthur M. Sackler collection, sold in Christie's New York, 18 March 2009, lot 375.