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Huanghuali yokeback armchairs such as the present example convey Illustrations included in literary sources of the Ming and Qing dynasties
timeless elegance through the simplicity and balance of their lines frequently show armchairs like the present example next to large tables
which represents spare but opulent aesthetic of the Ming elite. They are in sumptuous reception halls, and beside writing tables in a scholar’s
distinguished by their large size, the generous sweep of the crestrail, studio. See, for example, a woodblock print in the 1616 edition of
well-shaped terminals and elegantly-curved front and back posts. the ‘Golden Lotus’ Jin Ping Mei, depicting the main male character
and his principal wife seated on a guanmaoyi chair while dining with
The remarkable level of carpentry of this chair is also visible in the plain his secondary wives and concubines seated on stools, illustrated by
S-shaped back splat, which is carved from the same piece of wood C.Clunas, ‘The Novel Jin Ping Mei as a Source for the Study of Ming
and tongue-and-grooved into the underside of the top rail and tenoned Furniture, in Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from Orientations
to the back member of the seat frame. In addition, only four pieces of 1984-2003, Hong Kong, 2004, p.118, fig.8.
wood were used for the four verticals of the front legs and front arm-
posts, back legs and back posts, with each vertical passing through For a general discussion about the basic model and decorative
the frame of the seat. vocabulary of guanmaoyi armchairs, see C.Evarts, ‘From Ornate
to Unadorned’, Journal of the Chinese Classical Furniture Society,
Referring to the winged hat of the formal attire worn by Ming officials, Spring, 1993, pp.24-33.
the term guanmaoyi conveyed status and authority associated with the
highest-ranking classes in China. Prior to the Ming dynasty, yokeback Compare with a nearly-identical huanghuali yokeback armchair,
armchairs served as seats for Imperial family members and deities. late 16th-early 17th century, in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,
Gaozong’s empress (Gaozong r. 1127-1162), for example, is depicted illustrated by N.Berliner, ‘When Vernacular Meets Fine: Thoughts on
gracefully seated on a yokeback armchair in one of a series of portraits Chinese Furniture Studies’, Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from
of Song dynasty Imperial figures in the National Palace Museum, Orientations 1984-1999, Hong Kong, 1999, pp.215, fig.11. A similar
Taipei; see S.Handler, Austere Luminosity of Classical Chinese huanghuali yokeback chair, 17th century, was sold at Sotheby’s New
Furniture, London, 2001, p.46, fig.4.4. York, 20 March 2012, lot 127.

主體以圓材製作，素面三彎靠背板嵌入搭腦下方與椅盤後大邊槽口，
後腿上截穿過椅盤作肩出榫納入彎弧搭腦，三彎弧形的扶手同樣作肩
出榫接合後腿上截，前方接前腿鵝脖，穿過椅盤成前腿足，中間支以
三彎形上細下大的圓材聯幫棍。椅盤為格角榫攢邊框，抹頭見透榫，
邊抹冰盤沿上舒下斂底壓窄邊線，四框內緣踩邊打眼造軟屜。座面下
安券口牙子，沿邊起線，上方齊頭碰椅盤下面，二側嵌入腿足，底端
出榫納入踏腳棖。左右兩面安相似券口牙子，後方為短牙子。腿間施
步步高趕棖，踏腳棖及左右兩側管腳棖下各安一素牙子。

官帽椅，顧名思義，是由於像古代官吏所戴的帽子而得名。四出頭官
帽椅，以其簡潔的結構和協調的造型傳達出驚人的現代性，體現了明
代文人逸士古雅雋永的美學追求。有別於更為常見的直材四出頭官帽
椅，本拍品構件纖細，但彎曲程度大，製作時需用大料搜挖，以實現
「柔婉」的效果，為堅硬的木材賦予了彈性之美。

官帽椅歷史上常與中國統治階層的崇高地位息息相關。明代以前，
官帽椅多用作皇室貴冑之坐具。台北國立故宮博物院館藏一件宋高
宗後坐像，描繪了高宗皇后端坐於一件形似官帽椅的寶座之上，見
S.Handler著，《Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture》，
伯克利，2001年，頁46，圖4.4。至明清時，形如本例的扶手椅常
見於文學作品的插圖中。1616年刊印的《金瓶梅》版畫中，就有
西門慶與正室坐官帽椅用膳，而妾侍坐於凳上的場景，參見柯律
格著，〈The Novel Jin Ping Mei as a Source for the Study of Ming
Furniture〉，收錄於《Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from
Orientations 1984-2003》，香港，2004年，頁118，圖8。

有關官帽椅的基本類型，可參柯惕思著，〈From Ornate to
Unadorned〉，收錄於《Journal of the Chinese Classical Furniture
Society》春季刊，1993年，頁24-33。

參考波士頓美術館藏一件近乎相同的十六世紀晚期至十七世紀早期
黃花梨四出頭官帽椅，見N.Berliner著，〈When Vernacular Meets Woodblock illustration from ‘The Golden Lotus’ Jin Ping Mei
Fine: Thoughts on Chinese Furniture Studies〉，收錄於《Chinese 《金瓶梅》插圖版畫
Furniture: Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-1999》，香
港，1999年，頁215，圖11。另有一例黃花梨四出頭官帽椅，售於紐
約蘇富比，2012年3月20日，拍品編號127，可資參考。

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