Huanghuali furniture has been one of the hottest corners of the Chinese art market in recent years, with Christie’s playing a key role in driving demand. Last autumn during Asia Week New York, furniture from the Shanruoshui Xuan collection swept the top four lots of the house’s Important Chinese Furniture and Works of Art sale.
A year later, the major American private collection returned to Christie’s New York with 17 works. Fifteen sold, bringing around US$6 million in total. The standout was a 17th-century huanghuali daybed estimated at US$120,000. After strong bidding, it hammered at US$2.5 million and sold for nearly US$3.2 million with fees.
Offered under the anonymous title Shanruoshui Xuan: Property from an American Collection, the collection has been linked to the late Edward “Ned” Johnson III, the former Fidelity Investments chief executive who built the firm founded by his father into one of the world’s largest asset managers. Forbes estimated his fortune at US$11.5 billion at the time of his death in 2022.
The owner of the Shanruoshui Xuan collection is believed to be the late Fidelity Investments C.E.O. Edward “Ned” Johnson III
Lot 902 | A very rare waistless huanghuali daybed | Shanruoshui Xuan: Property from an American collection
17th century
42.9 x 179.2 x 65.1 cm
Provenance:
- Eastern Pacific Company (Hei Hung Lu), Hong Kong, acquired in 1991
Estimate: US$120,000 - 180,000
Hammer Price: US$2,500,000
Sold: US$3,170,000
The daybed, or ta, is among the oldest furniture forms in China, popular since the Han dynasty, when raised platforms served as seats for priests, noblemen and high-ranking officials. By the Ming dynasty, earlier box-construction platforms had given way to lighter four-legged forms in a range of sizes.
In late Ming interiors, daybeds were used in both scholars’ studios and sleeping quarters. Relatively lightweight, they could also be carried into the garden in summer and enclosed with mosquito netting as a cool place to rest.
The form became closely associated with the literati gentleman and his leisurely pastimes. Wen Zhenheng (1585-1645), one of the great chroniclers of cultivated Ming taste, praised it in his Treatise on Superfluous Things:
“When the men of old made platform-tables, although the length and width were not standardised, when placed in a studio or room they were invariably antique, elegant and delightful. Whether for sitting, sleeping or relaxed reclining, there was no way in which it was not convenient. In moments of pleasant relaxation they would spread out classic or historical texts, examine works of calligraphy or painting, display ancient bronze vessels, arrange sacrificial meats and fruits, or set out a pillow and mat – to what use was it not well suited?”
This daybed combines refined design with remarkable technical control. Its clean, almost architectural outline depends on complex joinery hidden from view. By carefully engineering the frame and legs, the carpenter avoided the need for visible stretchers, braces or spandrels, leaving the form open and uninterrupted.
With the structure concealed, attention falls on proportion and line: the balanced frame, the subtle taper of the legs, the gently upturned feet and the delicate everted ends. The effect is quiet but sophisticated, capturing the restrained elegance associated with Ming furniture.
Everted ends are often seen on Chinese tables, including trestle-leg and corner-leg forms, but they are rare on daybeds, especially in huanghuali. One comparable example, with a tall waist, everted ends and outward-turning hoof feet, is illustrated in Grace Wu Bruce’s The Best of the Best: The MQJ Collection of Ming Furniture.
Lot 904 | An exceptional and important large huanghuali circular incense stand | Shanruoshui Xuan: Property from an American collection
16th-17th century
Height: 74.3 cm
Provenance:
- The property of Shanruoshui Xuan, acquired in 1996
Estimate: US$400,000 - 600,000
Hammer Price: US$540,000
Sold: US$691,200
Circular incense stands in huanghuali are exceptionally rare, and this example stands out for both its scale and ambition. Measuring 73 cm in diameter, it is larger than the few published comparables and appears to rank among the largest known examples of its type.
Its construction suggests that it was made to support an object of considerable weight. The thick top frame, robust apron and waist, and interlocking stretchers between the legs all point to a piece conceived not merely as a decorative stand, but as a strong and carefully engineered structure. Such a complex design would have required highly experienced craftsmen.
The carving is equally impressive. The cusped apron is carved with lively chilong, their bodies twisting across the surface with a strong sense of movement. Each leg descends from the apron in a faceted cabriole curve, beginning with a forceful beast-mask at the shoulder and ending in claw-and-ball feet. The combination of technical strength and animated carving suggests a commission of considerable status.
Huanghuali incense stands rarely appear at auction, and circular examples tend to attract particular attention. In 2022, a 17th-century five-legged huanghuali circular incense stand from the collection of Piper Tseng sold at Christie’s Hong Kong for around HK$71.3 million, setting an auction record for the form.
Other Highlight Lots:
Lot 905 | A rare pair of huanghuali meditation stools | Shanruoshui Xuan: Property from an American collection
17th century
52 x 69.8 x 69.8 cm
Provenance:
- The property of Shanruoshui Xuan, acquired in 2002
Estimate: US$200,000 - 300,000
Hammer Price: US$400,000
Sold: US$512,000
Lot 901 | An important and very rare Dali marble-inset huanghuali table screen and brush holder | Shanruoshui Xuan: Property from an American collection
16th-17th century
24.1 x 17.7 x 11.5 cm
Provenance:
- Eastern Pacific Company (Hei Hung Lu), Hong Kong, acquired in 1993
Estimate: US$7,000 - 9,000
Hammer Price: US$350,000
Sold: US$448,000
Lot 913 | A rare pair of huanghuali 'official's hat' armchairs | Shanruoshui Xuan: Property from an American collection
17th century
120.4 x 58.3 x 44 cm
Provenance:
- The property of Shanruoshui Xuan, acquired in 1993
Estimate: US$100,000 - 150,000
Hammer Price: US$310,000
Sold: US$396,800
Lot 914 | A rare marble-inset huanghuali waistless flush-corner-leg side table | Shanruoshui Xuan: Property from an American collection
17th century
120.4 x 58.3 x 44 cm
Provenance:
- The property of Shanruoshui Xuan, acquired in 2007
Estimate: US$80,000 - 120,000
Hammer Price: US$200,000
Sold: US$256,000
Lot 912 | A very rare mother-of-pearl-inset huanghuali round-corner cabinet | Shanruoshui Xuan: Property from an American collection
17the century
186.1 x 95.9 x 55 cm
Provenance:
- The property of Shanruoshui Xuan, acquired in 2003
Estimate: US$200,000 - 300,000
Hammer Price: US$200,000
Sold: US$256,000
Auction Details:
Auction House: Christie's New York
Sale: Important Chinese Art Including Ceramics from the Art Institute of Chicago
Date: 17-18 September
Number of Lots: 202
Sold: 165
Unsold: 37
Sale Rate: 82%
Sale Total: US17,270,480