Page 287 - September 23 to 24 Important Chinese Art Christie's NYC

The horseshoe-back armchair is one of four types of Chinese chairs, and harmony with the simple lines of the upper half of the chair. No doubt the
is distinguished by its rounded crestrail and out-swept hooks. The form wealthy family who commissioned this pair was able to afford the highest
is commonly found; however, it is rare to find a pair of such generous quality material and workmanship.
proportions and beautifully selected material. The chairs are robust in
their scale, featuring a wide backsplat and broadly curving crestrail. The For a discussion of this chair shape, see R.H. Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture:
attractively-grained backsplats were cut from the same section of wood, Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch'ing Dynasty, New York, 1971, pp. 86-
characterized by the distinctive peak of the grain at the top and the vigorous 87, and Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing
swirls and striping on the lower half, and suggests that the chairs were Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1990, pp. 43-45. A set of four huanghuali horseshoe-back
commissioned as a pair. The sweep of the crestrail is wide and has an armchairs, of smaller proportions, but also with vigorously grained backsplats
elegance of movement not seen in examples of smaller proportions. Further, and gracefully curved crestrails is published by Grace Wu Bruce, Ming Furniture¸
the quality of the material is consistent throughout both chairs indicating 30 October-18 November 1995, p. 48, no. 23. See, also, a pair of huanghuali
that the workshop has ample, high quality material to select from. Although horseshoe-back armchairs of similar proportions, carved with a ruyi-medallion on
the chair is generously proportioned, there is no sense of heaviness. The the backsplat, sold at Christie’s New York: The Marie Theresa L. Virata Collection
aprons are high and finely cusped and restrained in design, in perfect of Asian Art: A Family Legacy, 16 March 2017, lot 607.

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