Qing Qianlong_ Red sandalwood carved dragon pattern offering table

Red sandalwood has been a beloved and precious wood since ancient times, and it has been recorded in Cui Bao’s “Annotations of Ancient and Modern Times”. During the Tang Dynasty, it was commonly used to make precious musical instruments, Li Chengxia, the 12th daughter of Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the Princess of Huainan. “She was intelligent and brilliant, and was only seven years old when she gradually became able to play music. She instructed Wang Changtong to teach her how to play the music and back it, and on the second day, she arrived… On the 14th, when she welcomed the Buddha’s bowl, the princess immediately played and was greatly appreciated. She specially kicked a purple sandalwood groove, a golden ring, a Kunpa, and embroidered it with colors.” Zhang Ji’s “Palace Ci” includes: The Golden Harvest plucked the rosewood trough, and the strings were even higher at the beginning. The large-scale use of rosewood as a furniture material dates back to the Ming Dynasty, and during the Qing Dynasty, rosewood was almost monopolized by the court. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, due to the shortage of rosewood, the royal family occasionally purchased it at high prices from private merchants. There are records of purchasing rosewood almost every year in the work files of the Qing Palace Building Office. There is a significant difference between the imperial use of rosewood furniture during the Qianlong period and the furniture at the end of the Ming Dynasty, especially the purchase of rosewood The form is not limited to simple etiquette and cultural style. During this period, red sandalwood furniture, as the main body of imperial use, began to form a system, especially the carving style that basically formed its own cultural routine. It also did a very good job in inheriting the rigorous style of Ming Dynasty furniture.

The Qing Dynasty red sandalwood carved dragon patterned tableware that I admire this time has a novel and exaggerated design that is not out of order, and has very high artistic appreciation value. The main structure is connected by a shoulder tenon, and the tabletop is framed with panels on all four sides. The tabletop is made of whole wood, with water blocking lines at the edges. The edge of the ice plate is connected to the waist support gills, and the waist is carved with ten thousand words of brocade on the ground. The pattern is neat and varied, with a dragon head in the middle. The dwarf can be disassembled and made into three-dimensional shapes of three fruits. Carved with auspicious clouds and bats on the teeth, and adorned with auspicious beasts, it is magnificent and has an ancient meaning. Carved Lingzhi Xiangyun with horn teeth. Four legs straight down and three bends, with the outer circle cut up and down corresponding to each other. The outward pointed blade showcases majesty, and the lower part is connected to the sole of the foot with an inward embossed cloud pattern. The edges and corners are also adorned with carved reliefs and auspicious clouds.

This Qianlong red sandalwood carved dragon pattern offering table has an elegant proportion, uses excellent wood, diverse decorative patterns, exquisite carving, and a cultural style that conforms to traditional aesthetics. Especially after years of baptism, this offering table still maintains a rich and delicate texture with thick paste, making it a great product.