Page 162 - Christie's Fine Chinese Paintings March 19 2019 Auction

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, MARYLAND
~1666
A RARE HUANGHUALI ‘FOUR-CORNERS EXPOSED OFFICIAL’S HAT’ ARMCHAIR,
SICHUTOUGUANMAOYI
17TH CENTURY
The curved, protruding crestrail is supported on an S-shaped splat and elegantly curved rear posts which
continue to form the rear legs. The curved arms rails are supported on curved stiles and extend beyond the
front posts. The soft mat seat is set in the rectangular frame above the beaded, shaped apron carved with
foral scroll and beaded spandrels. The legs are joined by stepped stretchers and the foot rest with shaped
aprons.
46 in. (116.8 cm.) high, 27 in. (68.5 cm.) wide, 22 in. (55.8 cm.) deep
$120,000-180,000

The ‘four corners-exposed’ armchair is one of the earliest and classic forms found in huanghuali furniture
design. The elegant lines and grand proportions of the present chair are especially attractive. A number
of variations on this type are known, including those with rounded or squared members, those with
carved splats, and those with added decorative carving or embellishment. A similar example dated to
the 17th century, and also with arm rails supported on single, curved, tapering, vertical stiles is illustrated
by Wang Shixiang and Curtis Evarts, Masterpieces From the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture,
Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, p. 48. A similarly proportioned chair was sold at Christie’s New York,
The Collection of Robert Hatfeld Ellsworth Part I: Masterworks: Including Indian, Himalayan and Southeast
Asian Works of Art, Chinese and Japanese Works of Art, 17 March 2015, lot 50.
清十七世紀 黃花梨四出頭官帽椅

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