Page 263 - Chinese Works of Art Chritie's Mar. 22-23 2018

~951
A RARE LARGE NANMU-INSET HUANGHUALI ‘OFFICIAL’S HAT’ 十七/十八世紀 黃花梨攢靠背四出頭官帽椅
ARMCHAIR, SICHUTOUGUANMAOYI
17TH-18TH CENTURY 著錄：
The sweeping crest rail is supported by a S-shaped splat inset with a nanmu 安思遠（R. H. Ellsworth），《洪氏所藏木器百圖》卷二，紐約，2005年，頁
panel fnely carved with a dragon amidst clouds, below a smaller rectangular 34-35，編號12。
panel fnely carved with a ruyi head, all above the shaped, beaded apron. The
curved vertical posts continue through the seat to form the legs. The mat seat
is set within the molded, rectangular frame above cusped, beaded aprons, 官帽椅，尤以此椅所屬之四出頭式，可謂中國古典家具中最氣派之類型，。其
and further carved with interlocking scrolls at the front. The legs are of round S形靠背板高挑筆挺，與兩邊扶手橫直相交，可讓人腰背挺直，正襟危坐。搭
section and are joined by stepped stretchers and a footrest at front. 腦弧彎舒展，外翹出頭，末端渾圓如珠，氣宇軒昂。上部落堂鑲平板，刻如意
46Ω in. (118.1 cm.) high, 24Ω in. (62.2 cm.) wide, 22º in. (56.5 cm.) deep 雲紋，雲尾朝天，更顯整體直立磅磗之勢。搭腦、扶手與聯幫棍皆弧曲有致，
亮腳疏朗空靈，能與靠背板及立柱之雄渾勁挺相互平衡。
$200,000-300,000
靠背板中段攢框以楠木雕雲龍紋，甚為罕見。於靠背上以攢數框而成之官帽
LITERATURE 椅多有所見，傳世例子大多鑲癭木、大理石及黃花梨，惟使用楠木並施浮雕，
R. H. Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: One Hundred and Three Examples from the 尤其飾龍紋者，則為數不多。楠木屬軟木，紋理雅致，材質耐用，芳香馥郁，
Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection, vol. 2, Hong Kong, New York, 2005, pp. 且具防蟲功效，自明代以降一直備受稱頌。本官帽椅巧用楠木，令整體質感
34-35, no. 12. 更為豐富悅目，與外框光素之黃花梨搭配得宜,相得益彰。
The ‘oficial’s hat’ or yokeback armchair, particularly the ‘four corners-exposed’
type of the present example, is among the most powerful and monumental
forms of classical Chinese furniture. The tall and supportive S-shaped splat
and horizontal arm rails encourage the sitter to hold himself in an upright
regal posture, and the spreading curved crestrail with tear-drop-shaped ends
behind the sitter’s head also adds an imposing efect. In the present chair,
that sense of powerful verticality is also enhanced by the topmost splat panel,
which is carved with a ruyi motif pointed upwards. The curves of the crestrail,
arm rails, and stiles, however, and the aperture at the base of the splat, known
in Chinese as the liangjiao (base-brightening panel), provide balance to the
verticality and rigidity of the tall splat and supporting posts.
The presence of the carved nanmu panel in the center of the splat depicting
a coiled dragon amidst clouds is very rare. It is not uncommon for the splats
of ‘oficial’s hat’ armchairs to be segmented into diferent sections, and there
are many extant examples with burl, marble or huanghuali panels. There are
relatively few examples, however, with relief-carved nanmu panels, particularly
those carved with dragons. While nanmu is a softwood, it was prized from the
Ming dynasty onwards for its grain, durability, and scent, which repels insects.
In the case of the present chair, the nanmu panel provides an attractive textural
and visual contrast to the plainer huanghuali frame.

261