A SMALL HUANGHUALI YOKEBACK ARMCHAIR, GUANMAOYI

LATE 16TH/EARLY 17TH CENTURY

Details

A SMALL HUANGHUALI YOKEBACK ARMCHAIR, GUANMAOYI
Late 16th/Early 17th Century
The round-section toprail with a long, straight humpback and projecting beyond the upper extension of the rear legs forming the rear corner posts the gently S-curved rectangular splat of good configuration, the straight arms supported on tapered side posts and extending beyond the front corner posts, above the rectangular seat frame enclosing a soft mat and with "ice-plate" edge, the slightly splayed, octagonal-section legs joined by a humpback apron stretcher with short, pillar-shaped struts in front and narrow plain aprons at the sides and back, the base stretcher and footrest stepped
39 5/8in. (100.5cm.) high, 21¼in. (54cm.) wide, 16¾in. (42.5cm.) deep

Literature

Curtis Evarts, ''Classical Chinese Furniture in the Piccus Collection'', JCCFS, Autumn 1992, p. 11, fig. 10

Lot Essay

The combination of upper round-section members and the octagonal- section legs is a variation on the tianyuan difang (round heaven, square earth) type of chair, with round-section upper members and square-section legs

A similar small zitan yokeback armchair with a humpback crest rail from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture is illustrated by Wang et.al., Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, p. 54, no. 25, and JCCFS, Spring 1993, p. 15, fig. 20, sold in these rooms September 19, 1996, lot 89

Compare, also, the larger tielimu example with a straight toprail from the Shanghai Museum illustrated by Wang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, vol. II, p. 43, no. A69