Page 246 - Bonhams, The H Collection, Classical Chinese Furniture, May 13, 2021 London

77 TP Y
A FINE PAIR OF HUANGHUALI HORSESHOE-BACK
ARMCHAIRS, QUANYI
18th century
Each chair with curving toprail sloping down to the arms supported
on serpentine side-posts terminating in a curved hook beyond the
corner posts set with shaped spandrels, the backsplat carved with a
ruyi cartouche enclosing the Shou character surrounded by five bats,
the back corner posts continuing below the rectangular frame set with
a mat seat to the back legs joined by three straight stretchers and a
footrest, the front legs with a cusped arched apron carved with foliate
scrolls extending from the beaded edge.
102cm (40 1/8in) high x 59.5cm (23 1/2in) wide x 47cm (18 6/8in)
deep. (2).

£40,000 - 60,000
CNY360,000 - 540,000

十八世紀 黃花梨浮雕五福捧壽圈椅成對

Provenance:
An important European private collection

來源：
歐洲重要私人收藏

Although the original version of their design may be traced over a 圈椅扶手五接。靠背板上端浮雕五蝠捧壽，後腿上截出榫納入圈形彎
thousand years earlier, quanyi armchairs remain strikingly timeless in 弧扶手，下穿過椅盤成為腿足。鵝脖上與扶手相接，下穿過椅盤成為
the simplicity and balance of their lines. Known as ‘horseshoe-back 前腿足，扶手左右支以三彎聯幫棍。籐編座面，椅盤下三面券口短牙
chairs’ quanyi, these seats display fluidity in the design, achieved 條，沿輪廓線起陽線如意云紋。腿間施步步高趕棖，踏腳棖及左右兩
through the continuous curved crest rail that also functioned as an 側管腳棖下各安一素牙子。
armrest. They were used in dining halls, scholars’ studios and halls
dedicated to receive guests and were normally reserved for the 圈椅質量輕便，造型圓融，是明清時期最為經典的家用坐具之一，
highest-ranking members of Chinese society; see C.Clunas, Chinese 並垂範至今。常見於明清兩代的木刻版畫中，並適用於公堂或居家各
Furniture, London, 1988, p.24. 類場合，供社會高階成員坐憩。有關圈椅用途的詳細論述可見柯律格
著，《Chinese Furniture》，倫敦，1988年，頁24。古代工匠通過巧
This elegant design owes its inspiration to chairs of nearly-identical 妙的楔釘榫連接硬木木料，復刻出竹篾彎曲的效果，傳達出豐盈且平
shape made from stalks of bamboo, which were bent to form a ‘U’ 衡的圓潤之美。圈椅的月牙扶手圓而細，楔釘榫任何構件的輕微誤差
shape and bound together using natural fibres. The design of these 都會被相鄰的構件放大，尤須造得精緻，才能確保器物美觀耐用。
seats, praised for their lightness and strong appearance, was eventually
transferred to hardwood, and so cabinet makers created elegant 此對圈椅後背板木紋緻密，雕工精細。除素圈椅外，大多圈椅都如
versions through novel and ingenious joinery techniques. In order to 本例，在後背板和券口牙板處進行裝飾。安思遠認為，此種複古
create the curved back, members were initially fitted together with a cut- 的紋飾設計是為晚明至康熙時期的創新，見安思遠著，《Chinese
out to accommodate a tapered wood pin that would lock them firmly in Furniture：Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch’ing
place when inserted. Once all members were joined, a lacquer coat was Dynasties》，紐約，1971年，頁86。安氏進一步認為，此類券口牙
applied to the surface crest rail to make all the joints virtually invisible. 板可在唐代桌案裝飾中找到相似之處；對比奈良正倉院所藏一例，收
錄於S.Handler著，《Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture》，
Chairs of this design are recorded either left undecorated, or carved 柏克萊，2001年，頁244 ，圖版12.6。
on the splats and aprons with raised motifs, such as the present piece.
These motifs are discussed by Robert Hatfield Ellsworth in Chinese 參考一組十七世紀黃花梨圈椅，造型紋飾可與本例比對，售於香港蘇
Furniture. Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties, New 富比，2020年10月9日，拍品編號95。
York, 1971, p.86, who notes that they are an innovation attributable
to the late Ming and Kangxi period. He further observes the similarities
between the curvilinear apron on chairs of this type and that found
much earlier on Tang-period tables, such as the example in the
Shōsōin Treasure House, Nara, illustrated by S.Handler, Austere
Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley, 2001, pl.12.6.

Compare the form and design of the present chairs with a set of four
related huanghuali quanyi seats, 17th century, which was sold at
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 9 October 2020, lot 95.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
244 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.