Page 102 - 2020 October 8 HK Fine Classical Paintings

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A HUANGHUALI YOKEBACK ARMCHAIR, 明末 黃花梨四出頭官帽椅
SICHUTOU GUANMAOYI
LATE MING DYNASTY
the elegantly sinuous crestrail terminating in protruding
upturned ends supported on a curved back splat, the
serpentine armrests supported by ‘S’-curve posts continuing
to the circular section front legs, the mat seat set in a
rectangular moulded frame above plain beaded aprons, the
legs joined by plain stretchers and footrest
63 by 60.5 by h. 110 cm, 24¾ by 23⅞ by h. 43¼ in.
◉ HK$ 600,000-800,000
US$ 78,000-104,000
Huanghuali yokeback armchairs of this type are of striking 此類黃花梨官帽椅線條簡約和諧，深具現代感，與
modernity in the simplicity and balance of their lines. They 明代官服頂帽形態相似，故名「官帽椅」，一直被
are called guanmaoyi or ‘official’s hat-shaped chairs’, the 視為中國精英人士身份及權力象徵。十五世紀木匠
name derived from its resemblance to the winged hat that
was part of the formal attire of the Ming officials. They were 典籍《魯班經》詳細描述官帽椅製式，並稱許其榫
regarded as high chairs and retained a connotation of status 卯結合方式為中國家具之典範。官帽椅前後扶手椅腿
and authority associated with the elite gentry in Chinese 共四條直線，以四根木柱穿榫過座板而成，簡約得
society. The classical text Lu Ban jing [Manuscript of Lu Ban], 宜，穩重十足。自十五至十九世紀，中國家具線條趨
a 15th-century carpenter’s manual, gives specifications for 向流麗，榫卯接位不著痕跡，正反映於官帽椅中。
these chairs and describes the joinery as the embodiment and
fine example of Chinese furniture. They are special because
only four pieces of wood are used for the four verticals of the 此類官帽椅多成對擺設，符合中國室內設計講究對稱
front legs and front arm-posts, the back legs and back posts, 之原則。明清版畫中官帽椅多置於飯桌側、文房書
with each vertical passing through the frame of the seat. 桌前、或會客室中以供賓客使用。參見1616年木刻版
They also reflect the trend in Chinese furniture manufacture, 《金瓶梅》（見柯律格，〈The Novel Jin Ping Mei as
from the 15th century to the 19th century, when the technical a Source for the Study of Ming Furniture〉，《Chinese
expedients in holding a piece together became less evident.
Furniture Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-2003》，
Ming and Qing period literature illustrations characteristically
show armchairs of this form used at dinner tables, in reception 香港，2004年，頁118，圖8），插圖中男主角與正室坐
halls for guests and at the writing table in the scholar’s studio. 官帽椅，而妾侍等則坐木櫈。關於官帽椅之基本製式
For example, see a woodblock print in the 1616 edition of Jin 及紋飾詞彙，見柯惕思，〈From Ornate to Unadorned〉
Ping Mei [The golden lotus] showing the main male character ，《Journal of the Chinese Classical Furniture Society》
and his principal wife seated on a guanmaoyi while dining ，1993年春，頁24-33。
with his secondary wives and concubines seated on stools
illustrated in Craig Clunas, ‘The Novel Jin Ping Mei as a Source
for the Study of Ming Furniture’, Chinese Furniture Selected
Articles from Orientations 1984-2003, Hong Kong, 2004, p.
118, fig. 8. For a general discussion on the basic model and
decorative vocabulary of these armchairs see Curtis Evarts,
‘From Ornate to Unadorned’, Journal of the Chinese Classical
Furniture Society, Spring, 1993, pp. 24-33.

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