A LARGE DALI MARBLE-INSET ‘DREAMSTONE’ HUALI TABLE SCREEN, QING DYNASTYChina, 1644-1912. Of rectangular form, the natural marble of creamy-white tones suffused with alternating light and dark gray swirls, reminiscent of a dreamy landscape, evoking thoughts of mountain peaks in rising mist and clouds. Mounted in a dark huali wood frame, fitted into two grooved uprights of the matching stand with finely carved archaistic designs.Provenance: Collection of Terence Kelleher, Esq., Southold, New York. Terrance Kelleher, a graduate of Saint Peter’s University in New Jersey and the Fordham Law School of Manhattan, served as a Captain in the United States Army Reserve Corp and served as a member of the United States Court of International Trade. He also served as CEO of a non-profit healthcarepany and was on the board of directors of Eastern Long Island Hospital.Condition: Good condition with minor wear overall. The marble screen with small chips along the edge which are concealed by the frame. The frame is in overall good condition with small losses, age cracks as expected and minor old repairs. The wood with a fine, naturally grown patina.Dimensions: Size 38.8 x 49.4 cm (the panel and frame) and 59.5 x 56 x 30 cm (the screen)Expert’s note: The use of variegated marble and other colored stones in conjunction with hardwood furniture was prevalent throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, as the color of the stone oftenplimented the rich color and grain of the wood. The picturesque swirls of the marble inclusions also appealed to the creative mind of the scholarly at the time, who often saw a deeper symbolic representation in everyday objects. For a discussion of marble and other stones used in Ming and early Qing furniture, see Wang Shixiang, Connoisseur of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, vol. I, Hong Kong, 1990, pages 153-54.Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie’s, Hong Kong, 3 October 2018, lot 128.Price: HKD 300,000 orEUR 38,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A dali marble-inset huanghuali table screenExpert remark:pare the similarposition of the dreamstone and the related dimensions of the screen (57 x 57 x 30 cm).Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby’s, London, 13 May 2009, lot 103Price: GBP 8,750 orEUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A dream stone table screen and hardwood stand, Qing dynasty, 19th centuryExpert remark:pare the related shades of the marble. It is also worth noting that the Sotheby’s stand has been ebonized at some point, and the underlying original wood tone may be ofparable color.清代大型花梨木鑲夢石座屏中國，1644-1912年。屏花梨木為框、座，鑲嵌大理石，木框尚保留原皮殼，色澤沉穩而層次豐富。整體保存極為完整。大理石屏心，正面紋路豐富，上有黑、灰色石紋，若千山羅列，夏峰過雨，雲霧變化，洶湧澎湃。木底座雕刻精美的仿古設計。