LONDON.- Grace Wu Bruce, the world’s leading dealer in Ming furniture, announced the launch of her new book, The Best of The Best: The MQJ Collection of Ming Furniture. Shortened from The Muquju Collection, meaning ‘Lodge of Wood Delights’, the collection comprises over 100 pieces of Ming furniture which will be on display in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 29 September to 2 October 2017. The book is dedicated to the unique and impressive collection curated by Grace Wu Bruce, the result of a life’s work sourcing the rarest and most beautifully designed Ming furniture available. The collection will be kept together in its entirety for future generations to enjoy.

The MQJ Collection London book launch will take place during Asian Art in London 2017, at 6:30pm on Monday 6th November 2017 at Sotheby’s, 34-35 New Bond Street, Mayfair, London, W1A 2AA.

The bilingual book mirrors the graceful elegance of the collection it details. The carefully curated selection of furniture is divided into sections with succinct notes, provenance information and beautiful imagery serving as a fascinating guide.

It is down to Wu Bruce’s wealth of experience handling Ming furniture, leading to the formation of her dedicated gallery in 1987, that she has been able to accumulate such special pieces. Highlights of the collection include a striking four post canopy bed of formal design with pure, clean lines throughout its design. The bed is a rarity as canopy beds more commonly feature six posts. An extremely rare five-legged, round incense stand is another standout piece. It is crafted from huanghuali wood, a beautiful yellowish-red wood distinguished by its sweet aroma. Incense stands are amongst the rarest major types of Ming furniture, and impressively The MQJ collection comprises three others. A sloping-stile wood-hinged cabinet (pictured) further demonstrates huanghuali wood at its best. The striking design features Tiangualeng, or lobe-shaped moulded stiles, which are widely regarded as the rarest type in surviving examples of Ming sloping-stile cabinets.

A folding horseshoe armchair (pictured) from the late Ming period is one of the most classic designs of Chinese furniture and is highly sought after by collectors. There are fewer than twenty extant examples known to have survived from the Ming dynasty and one appears in this collection. A stunning late Ming painting table is highly unusual thanks to its large size - measuring over two metres in length. Most pieces were acquired directly or second-hand from their places of origin in the 1980s and 1990s which is considered the golden period of Ming furniture collecting.

The Grace Wu Bruce gallery specializes in the finest examples of Chinese furniture of the 16th and 17th centuries and was established in Hong Kong in 1987. The gallery has participated in prestigious fairs such The European Fine Art Fair, Maastricht and The International Asian Art Fair, New York as well as mounting exhibitions in house. In addition, many of the most distinguished Chinese furniture collections have been formed with her advice and assistance, including the Lu Ming Shi Collection assembled by Belgian collector Mr. Philippe De Backer, as well as The Dr. S Y Yip Collection from Hong Kong, both achieving remarkable results at auction. Known affectionately as the ‘Queen of Huanghuali’, Grace herself is a global authority on Chinese furniture and has published numerous articles over the past 20 years in publications such as Orientations and Arts of Asia. She has also curated shows at the Palace Museum, Beijing, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and the Guimet Museum, Paris. Grace has published four books on the subject, not including this latest publication.