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PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT COLLECTION Horseshoe back chairs, quanyi, with their elegant curving Frequently depicted in woodblock illustrations, these chairs plain splats was included in the exhibition Ming Furniture,
A RARE SET OF FOUR HUANGHUALI crest rail and sweeping armrests are strikingly modern in their were used in numerous contexts but were reserved for high- Grace Wu Bruce Ltd., Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. 23; another
HORSESHOE-BACK ARMCHAIRS, QUANYI balanced interplay between curvilinear and straight members. ranking individuals. During formal occasions, quanyi were set with an openwork panel on the splat, from the collection
draped in sumptuous textiles and provided with a footstool.
of Robert H. Ellsworth, was sold at Christie’s New York, 17th
Inspired by chairs made of pliable lengths of bamboo, their
MING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY seemingly simple continuous crest rail was achieved through Their wide seats, C-shaped splats and curved backs make March 2015, lot 41; and two sets were reputedly in the former
each with a gracefully curving crestrail terminating in an ingenious joinery technique. In order to recreate the them particularly comfortable and thus also suitable in Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture in California.
outscrolled handgrips, supported by a gently curved S-shaped continuous back in hardwood, members were fitted together informal settings. With the addition of two carrying poles, they Chairs of this form are known either left undecorated or
backsplat carved in low relief with a ruyi-shaped cartouche with a cut-out to accommodate a tapered wood pin that would were converted into sedan chairs, which the Ming dynasty carved on the splats with raised motifs, as on these chairs. The
enclosing a pair of dragon flanking a stylised shou character, lock them firmly in place when inserted. With the application carpenters’ manual Lu Ban jing [The classic of Lu Ban] calls design on these chairs of two chilong facing a shou (longevity)
the hard-mat seat set within a moulded frame, the legs joined of a lacquer coating, the underlying joinery became virtually yajiao, from the word yamen, or ‘magistrate office’, suggesting character is unusual, although a similar motif is found on a pair
by a beaded arched apron and connected to a footrest and invisible. they were reserved for important government officials. of chairs sold in our New York rooms, 25th September 1986,
stretchers, the wood of a rich honey-brown tone with an These lightweight but sturdy armchairs were one of the most Horseshoe chairs were generally made in sets of two or four, lot 556.
attractive patina prestigious seats in Ming and Qing dynasty households. although intact sets of four are rare. A set of four quanyi with
58.7 by 46.5 by h. 97 cm, 23 by 18 by h. 38¼ in.

◉ HK$ 3,500,000-4,500,000
US$ 451,000-580,000

明十七世紀 黃花梨圈椅四把成堂