Page 23 - Sotheby's Part I Collection of Sir Joeseph Hotung Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022

This pair of yoke-back armchairs are exceptional for the generous රڀૣ࿁ಉிۨ࣎נӸߕd৷ɽᔊᇖd˝७νБථݴ˥dᇞૢݴ
proportions and clean aesthetics. Despite the large size, a sense of ࿫ᜳਗd։ੈϞߧdΘːዹ༶fࢭᆵɨՎɹ˫ɿdቦߠؐฆϜΥ
lightness is captured through the seemingly simple silhouette, which ୌɛ᜗ᛃܓdภ໘ʿҧ˓း၌೹̈᎘dˢԷܦ֝dՊඩɽ˙f
is so skilfully complemented by the attractive natural grain of the
lustrous honey-toned huanghuali. ֜సಉϞی֜సၾ̬̈᎘֜సಉ€͵၈̏֜సಉʘʱd˸̬̈
᎘֜సಉ௰ঐ࢝ͪ৷֠య൮ٙݖැdމᓿᄃʕഃॴ௰৷ѬՈʘ
Yoke-back armchairs are divided into nan guanmaoyi ('southern ɓdఘ၈׼ό࢕ՈٙՊۨ˾ڌf౱๯285໮ິГᕧኣ೥ʕʊԈ֜
official's hat-shaped chairs') and bei guanmaoyi ('northern official's సಉᕑҖdЇʞ˾یࡥˮՉጫהᖭਖࣣྡ‘dՉ౜ᖭʘɛيה
hat-shaped chairs') or sichutou guanmaoyi, the latter characterised Ѭٙಉɿிۨၾ׼ಃ̬̈᎘֜సಉਿ͉ɓߧfɖɤϋ˾ڋɽΝږ
by the two protruding ends of the top rail and thereby having a more ˾ᎅᅃ๕ྥ̈ɺə̬̈᎘ҧ˓ಉfᎇഹࣛ˾һࠖd̬̈᎘֜సಉ
commanding presence. Exuding a sense of majesty and power and ί׼˾ʈΘe˖ɛٙ৛Ӌʘɨһጲҁߕd˸ޜ൮ٙරڀૣމࣘd
testifying to the wealth and social standing of the owner, such chairs ˂್७ଣৣΥᔊఊ㝬ૢd௴ி̈׼˾࢕Ոٙ຾ՊfΝᗳ̬̈᎘֜
were reserved for the master of the household and high-ranking సಉd̙ਞԈ׼͉̊̚ʦʃႭ‘ౢྡf
guests and are considered to be iconic examples of Ming dynasty
furniture. The design appears to have evolved from earlier furniture ˉʂܨ̬҃ٙ̈᎘֜సಉމᅰޟ೽dϓ࿁һӼfਞϽɓ௓ྫྷ࢕͸
pieces, including a chair depicted in the Western Wei dynasty wall ᙨϗᔛԷdˉʂ༰ʃ€55.5 x 43.4 x 120.4 ʮʱd፽׵ˮ˰
painting of Cave 285 in the Dunhuang cave complex, and another ᑳd׼ό࢕Ոޜሧ‘d̏ԯd2006ϋdྡ45fɰ̙ਞϽɓࡡ
in Wang Qihan's Kanshu Tu [Picture of book proofreading] from ߕ਷̋ψʕ਷̚Պ࢕Ո௹ي᎜ᔛԷdҧ˓ɨೌᑌԞಓdࢭࠦʿ໔
the Southern Tang state in the Five Dynasties, the latter bearing ሸɨɧࠦ˫ɿϞ⎢ژόቃ࿊d፽׵ˮ˰ᑳd׼ό࢕Ոയޜ‘d
remarkable resemblance with Ming dynasty examples. A later Jin ٺ̋ࡩʿɧᖴ̹d1997ϋdᇜ໮11fᒔԈɓ༰ʃʘԷ€58.5 x
dynasty example was also excavated from the Tomb of Yan Deyuan 47 x 119.5 ʮʱ dϗɝˮ˰ᑳdˮ˰ᑳණg׼ό࢕޼Ӻ‘d
in Datong, Shanxi in the 1970s. By the Ming dynasty, craftsmen were ̏ԯd2013ϋdྡو͠70f
able to juxtapose the attractive patina and grain of huanghuali with
clean and sober lines to create sichutou guanmaoyi that came to
encapsulate the timeless aesthetic of Ming dynasty furniture. An
illustration depicting similar chairs is included in the Ming dynasty
version of Gujin xiaoshuo [Stories old and new].

It is rare to find this type of chairs in such exceptionally large size,
and rarer still to find any preserved as a pair in good condition in
any collection. See a similar but smaller example (55.5 by 43.4 by h.
120.4 cm) from the collection of Chen Mengjia, illustrated in Wang
Shixiang, Ming shi jiaju zhenshang / Classic Chinese Furniture: Ming
and Early Qing Dynasties, Beijing, 2006, no. 45. See also another of
similar proportions but lacking the side posts and constructed with
cusped aprons, formerly from the Museum of Classical Chinese
Furniture Collection, illustrated in Wang Shixiang and Yuan
Quanyou, Ming shi jiaju cuizhen / Masterpieces from the Museum of
Classical Chinese Furniture, Chicago and San Francisco, 1997, cat.
no. 11. A further example of this design but also slightly smaller in
size (58.5 by 47 by h. 119.5 cm) is included in Wang Shixiang, Wang
Shixiang ji: Ming shi jiaju yanjiu [Collected works of Wang Shixiang:
Ming-style furniture research], Beijing, 2013, pl. A70.

44 I FOR COMPLETE CATALOGUING ༉းྡ፽ʫ࢙ሗᓭᚎ SOTHEBYS.COM/HK1293 THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF THE LATE SIR JOSEPH HOTUNG I 45