Adam's Fine Asian Art Preview 23 November 2021

72 *AN IMPORTANT AND INTRICATELY CARVED ‘SQUIRREL AND GRAPES’ MARBLE- TOP HONGMU SIDE TABLE WITH DRAWERS CHINA, LATE QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY Of rectangle shape, resting on four curved feet, set with a large greyish marble top, the front part opening by three drawers. The curved feet carved with dragon / beasts faces, both to their tops and their endings. The wooden mounts intricately carved three sides with wine tendrils and grapes as well as with a two-part dragon’s mane and a squirrel. There is an handwritten inscription below the central drawer: “Ce bureau a appartenu à Ferdinand de Lesseps”, lit.: “This desk did belong to Ferdinand de Lesseps”. H: 71 cm – L: 157 cm – depth: 73 cm Provenance (according to the inscription): Ferdinand Marie Viscount of Lesseps (1805-1894), the French developer of Suez Canal and a renowned French Diplomat. €4,000 - 8,000 NOTE: This intricately hongmu table may have been done for the Indian market. Fig. 3 - Detail picture of the inscription below the central drawer Fig. 2 - Portrait of Ferdinand de Lesseps