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A Seventeenth Century Opera Bench.
Dating from the end of the Ming Dynasty, this bench is from the audience seats of a provincial Shanxi opera house, in northeastern China. Built of elm and walnut, it has a solid, hewn seat, a curved front apron decorated with a floral pattern, and thick, elaborate, reverse-cabriole legs. The apron wings extend the floral motif, while in the legs the blossoms combine with a curling pattern of waves. The heavy, low front stretcher is braced with two floral struts; there are double stretchers on each end. The back is constructed of a double frame, inset with two rows of eight panels each. The top row of panels is decorated with a beaded, openwork motif, and the seven small braces between the frame and the crest-rail are beautifully carved in an unrepeating series of leaves and flowers. This is an extraordinary piece, perfect for an entrance hall, foyer, or porch. The joinery is massive mortise and tenon, and the dimensions are 112 inches (9 ft, 4 in.) long by 14 inches wide by 38 inches high. The price is $12,000.
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