Page 289 - Important Chinese Art Hong Kong April 2, 2019 Sotheby's

Known as meiguiyi (rose chair), chairs of this type are
appreciated for their delicate design and light construction,
which made them ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. The
present pair is notable for its imitation of bamboo, as seen
in the spindle back and arms and the interlocking circles,
which simulate bamboo struts. The use of the fine and
densely-grained huanghuali to imitate the modest bamboo,
was popular in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Bamboo was
celebrated for its ability to bend but not break, and its
qualities were likened to those of the perfect gentleman.
A similar chair is illustrated in Sarah Handler, Ming Furniture in
the Light of Chinese Architecture, Beijing, 2005, p. 129; a pair
in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, is illustrated in Robert D.
Jacobsen and Nicholas Grindley, Classical Chinese Furniture,
Minneapolis, 1999, pl. 16; another was sold in these rooms,
30th October 1991, lot 363; and a further pair was sold in our
New York rooms, 9th/10th October 1987, lot 426.