Page 212 - Christies IMportant Chinese Art Sept 26 2020 NYC

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, MARYLAND
~1650
A HUANGHUALI 'OFFICIAL'S HAT' ARMCHAIR,
SICHUTOUGUANMAOYI
18TH CENTURY
The protruding crestrail is supported on a broad S-shaped
backsplat and curved rear posts which continue to form the rear
legs. The curved arms are supported on tapering, curved stiles and
curved front posts which continue through the seat frame to form
the front legs. The molded seat frame encloses a hard mat seat
above beaded, cusped aprons and spandrels. The round-section
legs are joined by stepped stretchers at the sides and a foot rest at
the front.
44 in. (111.8 cm.) high, 23æ in. (60.3 cm.) wide, 21º in. (54 cm.) deep
$80,000-120,000
PROVENANCE:
Acquired in the United States in 2001.

The 'four corners-exposed' armchair is one of the earliest and
classic forms found in huanghuali furniture design. The elegant
lines and grand proportions of the present chair are especially
attractive. A number of variations on this type are known,
including those with rounded or cut-off squared members, those
with carved splats, and those with added decorative carving or
embellishment.

A pair of yoke-back arm chairs of comparable proportions, with
'four exposed ends' to the yoke and arms cut-off square, dated
to seventeenth century, but with plain aprons, is in The Art
Institute of Chicago, and one of which is illustrated by L. Mason
Jr. in "Examples of Ming Furniture in American Collections
Formed Prior to 1980," Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from
Orientations 1984-1999, p. 134, fig. 7. Another similar pair with
plain aprons was sold at Christie’s New York, 13 September 2019,
lot 892.

清十八世紀 黃花梨四出頭官帽椅

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