Page 129 - 2019 September 13th Christie's New York Important Chinese Works of Art

Found in a variety of materials and woods, including lacquer, and exotic woods, such as huanghuali,
folding horseshoe-back chairs could be used as portable thrones when intended for Imperial use. (Fig. 2)
The folding chair is frequently seen in Ming and Qing period imperial paintings as the seat for both
emperors and empresses. A painting by Giuseppe Castiglione, 1688-1766, now at the Musée Guimet in
Paris, shows the Qianlong Emperor seated amongst standing courtiers on a terraced pavilion in a folding
horseshoe-back armchair with an extended scrolling splat, his feet resting on a footrest, with a large
foor screen behind. From this vantage point, he presides over Kazakhs presenting horses as tribute.
(Fig. 3) The staged presentation references the formal throne rooms in the palace, where reception halls
are furnished with the full suite of ornate throne furniture – the throne, the footrest, the pair of incense
stands, the standing screen, and the pair of fan holders — signifying Imperial power. In Castiglione’s
painting, the folding chair represents the throne.
Inspiration
Folding horseshoe-back armchairs also appear as quotidian furniture, used on verandas or outdoors.
In this context, the chair loses its symbol as a mark of status and instead is associated with leisure,
the natural world, and comfortable, relaxed living. In Portrait of Jin Nong, Luo Ping (1733-1799) painted
his friend and fellow painter, Jin Nong. Jin Nong sits shirtless, casually holding a fan, his eyes heavy
from the summer heat and relaxing in the cool shade provided by banana trees. Alone in nature, the
dignifed painter slips into a relaxed posture and quiet contemplation. As noted by Gustav Ecke (“The
Development of the Folding Chair: Notes on the History of the Form of the Eurasion Chair,” p. 18), “In this
isolated solitude, man, building, chair and landscape harmonize. This picture does not depict…worldly
dignity, but instead shows the nature of artistic leisure and inspiration, and we are led to understand that
even a chair may suggest the inner meaning of a style of living.”
(below)
Fig. 3 Giuseppe
Castiglione (1688-1766),
Qianlong Emperor 靈感啓發
Receiving Tribute Horses
from Kazakhs (45 x 267
cm), Paris, Musee Guimet.
(Photo by: Christophel 圓後背交椅亦見於長廊或室外起居之用，這裡 思寂慮，有如天人合一。「孤獨裡，人、建築物、
Fine Art/Universal Images 的圓後背交椅則撇除了身分象徵，而作為表露 椅子和景觀頃刻渾為一體。這幅畫非在描繪......
Group via Getty Images)
閒情逸致、天地自然以及舒適生活之用。清代畫 世俗身份，而在展現藝術性的休閒及靈感的本
圖三 清 郎世寧（1688-1766）
《哈薩克貢馬圖》 家羅聘（1733-1799）作《金農像》，畫中描繪畫家 質，引領觀賞者思考，即使一張椅子也可暗示生
巴黎吉美博物館
圖片提供：Christopher Fine 金農袒露半身，手執一扇，閉目養神，坐蕉樹下 活風格的內在意義。」
Art/Universal Images Group;
Getty Images 避暑乘涼。在炎熱與靜謐中，畫家閒適自在，澄

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