Page 49 - 2020 Nov 30 Christie's Hong Kong Scholars Art Of China

Robert Hatfield Ellsworth (1929-2014) fig. 1 Formerly in the Ellsworth Collection, sold at Christie's New York,
安思遠（1929-2014） 17 March 2015, lot 50
圖一 安思遠舊藏，紐約佳士得，2015 年 3 月 17 日，拍品 50 號
2827 Continued

The present pair of chairs displays an unparalleled grace and finesse 搭腦兩端微翹，靠背板略微向後彎曲。扶手與鵝脖均為彎材，相交處飾
seen only in the finest furniture dating to the Ming and early Qing 有角牙。座面藤屜，座面下飾壼門牙條，腿間安步步高管腳棖，四腿帶
dynasties. Of the four categories of chair, the 'four-corners exposed'
armchair is one of the earliest classic forms found in huanghuali 側角。
furniture design. The present pair of chairs is distinguished by the 四出頭官帽椅為中國家具體系中最經典款式，貫通明清。顧名思義，官
elegant lines and fine quality of the huanghuali. The form of these
chairs was derived from unusual winged hats formally worn by Ming 帽椅得名自官帽的樣式，其搭腦的設計仿如官帽兩端的展腳，即明代王
officials, hence they are commonly termed as guanmaoyi. Chairs of this 圻 (1530-1615) 著《三才圖會》中描繪的幞頭。官帽椅分兩類，搭腦與
type were prominently displayed in the main reception halls to impress 扶手皆出頭者如本拍品，是為四出頭；搭腦與扶手不出頭者，是為南官
and receive guests. For a woodblock print illustrating their placement, 帽椅。官帽椅樣式多變，從整體線條弧度，靠背板及牙板裝飾，以及扶
see C. Clunas, Chinese Furniture, London, 1988, p. 20.
手下設計皆有講究，而本拍品正是其中經典氣派，雋永大方之例。王世
The deeply curved crest rails with rounded ends are beautifully carved 襄整理數例不同樣式官帽椅，其中一例風格與本拍品相近而扶手下安連
and dramatically contrast the box-like construction of the lower 幫棍，收錄於《明式家具研究》，1990 年，圖版 A70；北京故宮博物
section. The thick curved members would have resulted in a significant
amount of wastage, and suggests the considerable importance of the 院藏另兩例定年明代，著錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系－明清家具
gentleman who commissioned the chairs. One closely comparable （上）》，香港，2002 年，頁 40-41，編號 26-27。
published example, of similar proportion, is a single chair exhibiting
the same protruding crest rail and handgrips, gently curved splat and 同為安思遠舊藏的一把形制相近之明十七世紀黃花梨四出頭官帽椅，拍
square-section legs, illustrated by Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of 賣於紐約佳士得，2015年3月17日，《錦瑟華年–安思遠私人珍藏》，
Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1990, pl. 拍品編號50（圖一），成交價美元$1,205,000。
A70. Another example of similar proportions is in the Palace Museum,
Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace
Museum - Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong,
2002, pl. 26.
Compare also to a closely related single huanghuali sichutou chair
with plain aprons, formerly in the Robert H. Ellsworth Collection,
sold at Christie’s New York, 17 March 2015, The Collection of Robert
Hatfield Ellsworth Part I: Masterworks: Including Indian, Himalayan and
Southeast Asian Works of Art, Chinese and Japanese Works of Art, lot
50 (fig. 1), price realised US$1,205,000.

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