Page 184 - Bonhams, The H Collection, Classical Chinese Furniture, May 13, 2021 London

The present chairs are distinguished by the attractively-figured 圈椅扶手兩端出頭迴轉收尾。靠背板上端浮雕抵尾雙螭，翻成雲紋，
huanghuali grain on the backsplat, the vigorous outline of the shaped 後腿上截出榫納入圈形彎弧扶手，下穿過椅盤成為腿足，鵝脖與前腿
aprons and the refined quality of the carving of the splat medallions 足亦相同造法。扶手與鵝脖間打槽嵌入小角牙。扶手左右支以三彎形
and aprons. 上細下大的圓材聯幫棍。籐編座面，椅盤下的券口牙板浮雕卷草​紋，
​
並沿輪廓線起一道陽線為飾，兩側面則裝光素的券口牙子。腿間施步
The Chinese name for this type of chair, quanyi, literally translates as 步高趕棖，踏腳棖及左右兩側管腳棖下各安一素牙子。此對黃花梨圈
‘chair with a circular back’ or ‘circle chair’. During the Song dynasty, 椅線條簡約流暢，色澤溫潤素雅，盡顯傳統手藝的精工細作。
this form was known as kaolaoyang, referring to a large round basket
made from split bamboo. 圈椅之名，蓋因其圓靠背狀如圈而得來。宋人稱之為「栲栳樣」，
原意指用竹篾或柳條編成的大圓筐，與之形似。圈椅的後背和扶手一
Horseshoe-back chairs, quanyi, are notable for their elegant curving 順而下，坐靠時不僅肘部有所倚托，腋下一段臂膀也得到支承，分外
crest rails and sweeping armrests and are strikingly modern in their 舒適。接扶手所用的榫卯是極為巧妙的「楔釘榫」；依王世襄在
balanced interplay between curvilinear and straight members. These 《明式家具研究》中所述，楔釘榫是將兩片榫頭盡端有小舌的榫頭合
chairs were inspired by seats made of pliable lengths of bamboo with 掌式地交搭，小舌入槽後要能緊緊貼合，使榫頭不能上下移動，然後
seemingly-simple continuous crest rails achieved through an ingenious 在搭口中部剔鑿方孔，將一枚斷面為方形的頭粗而尾稍細的楔釘貫穿
joinery technique. To recreate a continuous back when using less 過去，使得榫頭不能左右移動。圈椅的月牙扶手圓而細，楔釘榫任何
pliable hardwoods, the various members were fitted together with 構件的輕微誤差都會被相鄰的構件放大，尤須造得精緻。亦可參安思
a cut-out to accommodate a tapered wood pin that locked them 遠著，《Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early
firmly in place when inserted. The complexity of the design required Ch’ing Dynasties》，紐約，1971年，頁86-87。
utmost precision, as a slight error in the angle of any of the joins
would be magnified by the adjoining members. A lacquer coating 圈椅質量輕便，結構堅實，是明清時期最為經典的家用坐具之一，
was then applied to make the underlying joinery virtually invisible; see 無論場合是否正式皆可適用，並常見於明代書籍版畫插圖之中。圈椅
R.H.Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and 還可用於高階官員的轎椅，作為其尊貴身份的象徵，見柯律格著，
Early Ch’ing Dynasty, New York, 1971, pp.86-87. 《Chinese Furniture》，倫敦，1988年，頁24。券口牙板的浮雕卷草
紋或源自青銅禮器紋飾，反映了十七世紀晚期文人階層的崇古思潮。
Lightweight yet sturdy, quanyi armchairs were amongst the most 安思遠認為，此種複古的紋飾設計是為晚明至康熙時期的創新，見安
prestigious seats in Ming and Qing dynasty households. They were 思遠著，《Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and
reserved for high-ranking members of society and frequently depicted Early Ch’ing Dynasties》，紐約，1971年，頁86。
in woodblock illustrations. During formal occasions, quanyi chairs were
draped with sumptuous textiles and provided with a footstool. Their 圈椅通常成對或成堂製作。參考一具與本例裝飾風格相似的晚明
wide seats, C-shaped splats and curved backs made these chairs 黃花梨圈椅，見安思遠、N.Grindley與A.Christy合著，《Chinese
particularly comfortable and suitable for informal contexts. They also Furniture: One Hundred Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung
served as sedan chairs reserved for officials of high rank, and were Collection（洪氏所藏木器百圖）荘》，紐約，1996年，頁68-69，
considered markers of high status, seats of honour; see C.Clunas, 編號14。另有一具十七世紀黃花梨圈椅，靠背板浮雕紋飾相近，收錄
Chinese Furniture, London, 1988, p.24. 於王世襄與柯惕思著，《Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical
Chinese Furniture》，芝加哥與舊金山，1995年，頁56，編號26。
The crisp angular scrollwork decorating the aprons appears to
have been inspired by designs found on archaic bronzes, reflecting 參考一件與本例相似的十七至十八世紀黃花梨圈椅，售於紐約佳士
the interest in antiquarianism which was popular among the literati 得，2015年3月18日，拍品編號139。
elites during the late 17th century. According to Robert Ellsworth,
the archaistic designs are an innovation attributable to the late Ming
and Kangxi period; see R.H.Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture. Hardwood
Examples of the Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties, New York, 1971, p.86.

Horseshoe-back chairs were generally made in sets of two or four. A
single huanghuali horseshoe-back armchair, late Ming dynasty, carved
in similar fashion to the present chairs is illustrated by R.H.Ellsworth,
Chinese Furniture: One Hundred Examples from the Mimi and
Raymond Hung Collection, New York, 1996, pp.68-69, no.14. See
also a huanghuali horseshoe armchair, 17th century, carved with
similar ruyi heads on the splat, illustrated by Wang Shixiang and
C.Evarts, Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese
Furniture, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, p.56, no.26.

A similar huanghuali horseshoe-back armchair, 17th/18th century, was
sold at Christie’s New York, 18 March March 2015, lot 139.

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