Page 71 - Sotheby's Part I Collection of Sir Joeseph Hotung Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022
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           ׼ ර           A HUANGHUALI FOLDING STOOL, JIAOWU,
           ͋   ڀ         LATE MING DYNASTY
               ૣ         constructed with beaded curvilinear-shaped seat rails drilled for a woven seat, the seat rail carved with confronting chilong and tendrils,

               Ϟ         the legs mortised, tenoned and lapped to the seat rails and base stretchers, hinged by metal rods at the pivoting point, secured on
               ሸ         both sides with chrysanthemum-shaped metal backplates that set against ruyi-shaped strapwork, the rectangular footrest with a cusped
                         apron and two feet mortised and tenoned to the front pair of legs and base stretcher, surface-mounted with an interlocked lozenge
               ґ         design and corner mounts, further reinforced with inlaid strapwork at the seat rail and the foot joins
                         54.8 by 36.8 by h. 49.9 cm
               ʹ
                         PROVENANCE
               ᢧ         R.H. Ellsworth Ltd, New York, 18th March 2003.  Ը๕j
                                                                         τܠჃdॲߒd2003ϋ3˜18˚
                         ◉  HK$ 300,000-500,000
                         US$ 38,300-64,000


                         As conveniently lightweight and comfortable seats, folding stools   ʹᢧdɦΤ৵͌dிۨჀ̷e̙࿡ᛌdک׵ᙳ੭dˈމ༷̈ʘ
                         such as the current example were popular in the Ming dynasty   ͜f׼ʤߵᖭdຬ዇ࣛಂՍ͉ΐɾෂ‘া፽əɓΤᎇ੽ϕഹʹ
                         among travelling scholars and military officials. This design derives   ᢧd༧ᎇ˴ɛ৵ܝdᏐ՘п˴ɛɪɨ৵אʕ௄;ࢹʘ͜€՜16d
                         from prototypes known since the Han dynasty, when folding stools   ࠫ147fʹᢧ๕ІГਹd֐Ԉ׵؇ဏdɦ၈ߡґd༷ى͏ૄແ
                         were imported by nomadic tribes from Central Asia and popularised   ί৵ߠɪ˸ک๊ࢹʘ͜fܝဏࣣgʞБқɓ‘া༱j˜ᜳ܎d
                         by Emperor Lingdi (AD 168-189), who was fascinated by the foreign   λߡ؂eߡ੮eߡґeߡѬeߡඵeߡ❫ᇓeߡ୊eߡႀdԯே
                         portable seat. The folding stool appears to be the first elevated type   ൮ૄޫᘩމʘf™ԯ۬൮ૄٙᘩ޴ࣖͷdίʕࡡ஗ᄿعԴ͜dϓ
                         of seat in China, predating the emergence of the rigid frame chair   މʕ਷௰ϘٙѬՈʘɓf
                         (see Gustav Ecke, 'The Development of the Folding Chair. Notes
                         on the History of the Form of the Eurasian Chair', Journal of the   ˮ˰ᑳd׼ό࢕Ոޜሧ‘dߵ˖وdࡐ౱d1986ϋdࠫ31ഹ
                         Classical Chinese Furniture Society, vol. 1, no. 1 (Winter, 1990), pp.   ፽ɓԷ׼රڀૣϞሸґʹᢧd࣪Ս⸷Ꮂ७dၾϤʹᢧ̙༟࿁ˢf
                         11-21). The woodblock print illustration to Lienü Zhuan [Biography of   ɓԷ፽׵ Karen MazurkewichdChinese Furniture. A Guide to
                         women in ancient China] by Ming dynasty painter Qiu Ying shows   Collecting Antiques‘dזतᚆd2006ϋdྡو154fτܠჃᔚ
                         an attendant carrying a folding stool behind his master on horseback,   ᔛɓԷdਯ׵ॲߒԳɻ੻2015ϋ3˜17˚dᇜ໮40f̤ԈɓԷd
                         suggesting their usage as travelling seats as well as stools for alighting   ፽׵ Robert D. Jacobsen dClassical Chinese Furniture‘d׼
                         from horses (Wanli period version, vol. 16, p. 147).  ̵ڛتл౶d1999ϋdྡو1dШ˸ᔷ،ڀ̓މ˴ུf˲ਞԈɓ
                                                                         Էdڋਯ׵࠰ಥԳɻ੻1994ϋ10˜31˚dᇜ໮413dܝɦί࠰ಥ
                         Compare a similar stool illustrated in Wang Shixiang,  Classic   ᘽబˢ2020ϋ7˜11˚׸˓dᇜ໮140f֠ϞɓԷ̙༟ਞϽdਯ
                         Chinese Furniture, London, 1986, pl. 31; one also carved with chilong   ׵࠰ಥᘽబˢ2020ϋ10˜9˚dᇜ໮60f
                         on the upper members, illustrated in Karen Mazurkewich, Chinese
                         Furniture. A Guide to Collecting Antiques, Rutland, 2006, pl. 154;
                         another from the collection of Robert H. Ellsworth, sold at Christie's
                         New York, 17th March 2015, lot 40; a stool carved with a floral
                         scroll in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, illustrated in Robert D.
                         Jacobsen, Classical Chinese Furniture, Minneapolis, 1999, pl. 1. For
                         examples sold at auction, see one first sold at Christie's Hong Kong,
                         31st October 1994, lot 413, and again in these rooms, 11th July 2020,
                         lot 140; and another sold in these rooms, 9th October 2020, lot 60.


















         140 I FOR COMPLETE CATALOGUING  ༉းྡ፽ʫ࢙ሗᓭᚎ  SOTHEBYS.COM/HK1293                                                                                                                                           THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF THE LATE SIR JOSEPH HOTUNG  I 141
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