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Lot Essay
The 'southern official's hat' armchair is one of the most popular forms in Chinese furniture construction. They differ from the 'official's hat' armchair in that their crest rails continue into the back rails as opposed to extending beyond them.
The present pair of arm chairs are superb examples of the highly successful combination of huanghuali and nanmu. Here, the craftsman has meticulously carved and inlaid the chilong roundels in the center of the splat. The result is a pleasing aesthetic, with the dark nanmu providing an attractive contrast to the lustrous color of the huanghuali. An unusual added feature evident on the present pair of chairs is the carving on the apron and spandrels, which when viewed from the front appear as the heads of two dragons gazing at each other.
Inlaid or embellished huanghuali chairs of this type appear to be quite rare. However, a pair inlaid with birds amidst fruiting and flowering branches in mother of pearl and stone is illustrated by C. Evarts in Liang Yi Collection: Huanghuali, Hong Kong, 2007, pp. 60-1, no. 13. A pair of huanghuali 'four-corner's exposed armchairs' with burl-inset splats, dated to the 18th century, was sold in these rooms, 24-25 March 2011, lot 1362.
The present pair of arm chairs are superb examples of the highly successful combination of huanghuali and nanmu. Here, the craftsman has meticulously carved and inlaid the chilong roundels in the center of the splat. The result is a pleasing aesthetic, with the dark nanmu providing an attractive contrast to the lustrous color of the huanghuali. An unusual added feature evident on the present pair of chairs is the carving on the apron and spandrels, which when viewed from the front appear as the heads of two dragons gazing at each other.
Inlaid or embellished huanghuali chairs of this type appear to be quite rare. However, a pair inlaid with birds amidst fruiting and flowering branches in mother of pearl and stone is illustrated by C. Evarts in Liang Yi Collection: Huanghuali, Hong Kong, 2007, pp. 60-1, no. 13. A pair of huanghuali 'four-corner's exposed armchairs' with burl-inset splats, dated to the 18th century, was sold in these rooms, 24-25 March 2011, lot 1362.