Page 238 - Bonhams, The H Collection, Classical Chinese Furniture, May 13, 2021 London

Notable for its elegant form and proportions, and the combination of 主體圓材，靠背與扶手以挖煙袋鍋榫成框，框內以更細的圓材裝邊
the previous huanghuali and well-figured burlwood, this exceptionally 框，在搭腦及扶手橫材以下一寸多的部位施橫棖，橫棖以下安直櫺，
rare chair is one of the rarest and finest surviving examples of its type. 呈梳背式，橫棖以上安單環卡子花；靠背中心兩根直櫺上部加嵌癭木
圓板。籐編座面，椅盤下三面亦安設用圓材造成的券口並施直棖，棖
Chairs constructed with a low rectangular back, such as the present 上安方環卡子花。腿間施步步高趕棖，踏腳棖及左右兩側管腳棖下各
example, were referred to as either ‘rose chairs’, meiguiyi, or ‘writing 安一素牙子。
chairs’, wenyi. These seats were the smallest of the standard chair
designs in Chinese furniture, making them appropriate for both indoor 玫瑰椅靠背和扶手都比較低矮，坐盤略窄，且靠背、扶手與椅面之間
and outdoor use. The sense of elegance and lightness, conveyed by 相互垂直。一說因其尺寸嬌小，極適合閨閣之中，而稱「玫瑰椅」；
the use of humpback stretchers with pillar-shaped struts above the 江南地區亦稱「文椅」，或與明清版畫中常見該椅出現在文房擺設有
seat frame, encouraged portable and functional ease. In addition, the 關。玫瑰椅用材單細，形態方正精巧，是明清極為流行的椅式之一。
straight back and arms conveyed a sense of austerity to the scholar 明清畫本中可以看到玫瑰椅往往放在桌案的兩邊，對面而設；或不用
sitting in them and would fit neatly under the window of a scholar’s 桌案，雙雙並列；或不規則地斜對著，擺法靈活多變，宜作多方用
studio, without obstructing the outside view. 途。又因為其椅背與扶手高度相差無幾，頗為適合在室內臨窗陳設，
椅背不高過窗台，配合桌案使用又不高過桌沿，不至阻擋視線，令人
Smaller and less formal than the ‘yokeback’ or ‘horseshoe-back’ 賞心悅目。
armchair, low-back armchairs were often more ornately decorated,
displaying decorative frames and stretchers on the back panels, such 玫瑰椅造型輕巧，相較於圈椅或官帽椅更顯閒適，周身裝飾也往往更
as the present example. The top rail and arms curve smoothly into the 加華麗。其靠背與扶手的頂端橫材通過複雜的挖煙袋鍋榫與前後腿相
posts, imitating the flexibility of bamboo by means of complex mortise- 連接，在硬木材料上仿造出了竹製家具的柔韌感。此種椅式的原型可
and-tenon joints. This design was probably inspired by a low-back 以追溯至宋式矮靠背扶手椅；日本京都南禪寺藏南宋馬公顯作《藥山
armchair produced during the Song dynasty, an example of which 李翱問答圖》中，禪師即坐於一竹椅上，竹椅主體的靠背與扶手高度
is depicted in a twelfth century painting by Ma Gongxian (act.1131- 相同，形如玫瑰椅，惟加設一截靠背，以支撐頭頸部。
1162). Here Li Ao (d.ca. 844), a Confucian scholar, is seeking
instruction from Yaoshan Weiyan (751-834), a Chan master, who is 形如本例的直欞玫瑰椅更是借鑒了竹製傢具的特點，並與當時造園門
seated on a low bamboo chair which resembles the construction of a 窗流行的「柳條式」門窗隔圖案相似。美國明尼阿波利斯藝術學院藏
meiguiyi, with the addition of a back rest. 一對近似的黃花梨梳背椅，見D.Jacobsen與N.Grindley著，《明尼阿
波利斯藝術館藏中國古典家具》，明尼阿波利斯，1999年，頁68-69
The form of the present chair was alternatively referred to as tushou ，編號16。
shubeiyi, or spindle-back armchair, in reference to the tall posts set
between the back and arm rails. The use of fine and densely-grained 美國明尼阿波利斯藝術學院藏一具十七世紀黃花梨梳背椅，館藏編號
huanghuali to imitate bamboo was popular in the Ming and Qing 98.76.1，或為本例直櫺玫瑰椅的原型，可為參考。
dynasties. For a further discussion about chairs of this form, see
R.D.Jacobsen and N.Grindley, Classical Chinese Furniture in the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, 1999, pp.68-9, no.16,
where the authors also illustrate a related pair of huanghuali chairs.

Meiguiyi armchairs also served as informal seats for women as well
as sedan chairs and were frequently depicted in paintings and prints
dating to the Ming and Qing dynasties. For example, the ‘Literary
Gathering in the Apricot Garden’, painted by the court artist Xie Huan
(act.1426-1452), depicts ‘The Three Yangs’ (scholars of the Hanlin
Academy) beside bamboo and hardwood low-back armchairs. Ming
dynasty painting by Dai Jin (1388-1462) depicts Zhong Kui, the
‘Demon Queller’, seated on a low-back armchair decorated with
circular designs; see S.Handler, ‘Rose, Bamboo and the Low-Back
Armchair’, in Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from Orientations,
1984-1999, Hong Kong, 1999, pp.250-256; see also Wang Shixiang,
‘Development of Furniture Design and Construction from the Song to
the Ming’, ibid., p.44.

Compare with a related huanghuali ‘spindle-back’ armchair, 17th
century, in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN, acc.
no.98.76.1, the type of which may have served as a prototype for the
present example.

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