Page 106 - Bonhams Chinese Art NYC Nov 9 2017

Gustav and Yuho Ecke; image courtesy of Orientations

The important set of four huanghuali folding chairs which may be For Ming dynasty variations of square-back huanghuali folding chairs,
considered a masterpiece of Ming dynasty furniture making, is see Grace Wu Bruce, Living with Ming - The Lu Ming Shi Collection,
exceedingly rare in form and type, with no other identical single 2000, pp.88-89, no.16 (with yokeback top rail and without a central
chair, or indeed a set, known to have been published. Ming dynasty splat); two but with arms of the ‘Drunken lord’s’ type, are illustrated by
folding chairs were made in two main forms: horseshoe-back shape, S.Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley,
of which there are many extant examples, and in square back form, California, 2001, p.70, fig.5.9, and R.H.Ellsworth et al, Chinese Furniture:
of which very few survive. Of the square back form two main types One Hundred Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection,
are known – without arms as the present lot – and with arms, also New York, 1996, no.26; and a fourth example with a yokeback, is
known as ‘Drunken lord’s chair’. Dr Gustav Ecke in his important illustrated in R.H.Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of
article ‘Wandlungen Des Faltstuhls: Bemerkungen zur Geschichte the Ming and Early Ching Dynasties, New York, 1971, pl.26.
der Euraischen Stuhlform’ (‘Development of the Folding Chair:
Observations on Euroasian Chair Forms’), ibid., pp.36, concludes the Most extant examples of Ming dynasty folding chairs made from
set of chairs are Ming dynasty in date. huanghuali are of the horseshoe shape type; see for example one in
the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Huanghuali Furniture, Beijing,
Folding chairs such as the present lot would have belonged to the elite 2008, pl.8; and another, with a similarly shaped splat back, dated as
and used at home, in the garden and when travelling, which would Yuan dynasty, illustrated by Wang Shixiang, Classic Chinese Furniture
also explain their relative scarcity due to wear (particularly when made – Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Bangkok, 1986, pl.57; for further
from softwood). These were used for formal and informal occasions, examples see S.Handler, ibid., pp.60-71, (compare the closely related
when on military campaigns or enjoying leisurely pursuits. Despite chilong decoration on the front seat stretcher, the foot stand and edged
their rarity today, these square back folding chairs often appeared in back splat on a folding armchair, Ming dynasty, from the Museum of
illustrated Ming dynasty novels and were illustrated in the late Ming Classical Chinese Furniture, Renaissance California and the example
pictorial encyclopedia Sancai Tuhui (三才圖會) as yi die zhe (椅疊折, from the collection of John W. Gruber, New York, figs.5.1 and 5.4).
literally ‘folding chair’); see a related Ming dynasty folding chair but in
softwood with a yokeback top rail which belonged to King Philip II of See a huanghuali folding horseshow-back chair, 16th/17th century, which
Spain (1527 - 1598) and is still in the palace of El Escorial. was sold at Sotheby’s New York, 19-20 March 2007, lot 312, and another
which was sold at Christie’s New York, 16 October 2001, lot 254.

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