Page 78 - CHRISTIE'S Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art 09/14 - 15 / 17

PROPERTY FROM THE NANCY AND ED ROSENTHAL COLLECTION While there are many extant examples of huanghuali ‘Southern Oficial’s
Hat’ armchairs, there appear to be relatively few published examples in
946 zitan. See, the zitan armchair of taller proportions constructed from rounded
A VERY RARE ZITAN ‘SOUTHERN OFFICIAL’S HAT’ ARMCHAIR, members but with a more dramatic curve to the crestrail, and carved with
NANGUANMAOYI two dedicatory inscriptions published by M. Beurdeley in Chinese Furniture,
New York, 1979, p. 75, pl. 93. Another zitan ‘Southern Oficial’s Hat’ armchair
LATE 17TH-18TH CENTURY currently in the Liangyi Collection and illustrated in C. Evarts, Liang Yi
The top rail of round section is supported on an S-shaped back splat and collection: Zitan, Hong Kong, 2007, p. 48, is constructed with fattened
curved rear posts, which continue to form the rear legs. The curved arms are rounded members and has slightly taller proportions.
supported on tapering braces and front posts which continue through the seat
to form the front legs. All are above a mat seat set within a rectangular frame The chair design was most likely inspired by bamboo prototypes, most
above plain aprons ftted on the front and sides with a lattice-work pattern notably seen in the unususal fretwork below the seat. A nanmu six-post
above straight stretchers. The legs are joined by plain stretchers at the sides canopy bed illustrated by Zhang Jinhua in The Classical Chinese Furniture
and a foot rest at the front. of Weiyang: Representative Examples, vol. 2, London, 2016, pp. 258-9, is
36Ω in. (92.7 cm.) high, 23º in. (59 cm.) wide, 21¿ in. (53.5 cm.) deep constructed with similar design in the openwork panels at the top of the bed
and on the back and side railings. See, also, a bamboo-inspired huanghuali
$200,000-300,000 side table in the Qing Court Collection illustrated in The Complete Collection
of Ming and Qing Dynasty Furniture in the Palace Museum: Table, vol. 7,
PROVENANCE Beijing, 2015, p. 136-7, pl. 57, which exhibits a similar conception of the
stretchers under the table commonly seen on bamboo examples.
Ming Furniture Ltd., New York, November 1989.
十七世紀末/十八世紀 紫檀南官帽椅
EXHIBITED

Cincinnati, Taft Museum of Art, Brush Clay Wood: The Nancy and Ed Rosenthal
Collection of Chinese Art, 7 November 2008 - 11 January 2009.

LITERATURE

S. Handler, Ming Furniture In the Light of Chinese Architecture, Ten Speed
Press, New York, 2005, p. 119.
V. Bower, S. Handler and J. Burris, Brush Clay Wood: The Nancy and Ed
Rosenthal Collection of Chinese Art, Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, 2008, p.
49, fg. 20.

(another view)

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