Lot Essay
The present chairs are quite impressive for their massive size, quality of carving and substantial use of zitan. They relate directly to a group of imperial furniture carved entirely with lotus blossoms, stems and leaves. A nearly identical zitan throne chair carved in similar fashion, although dated to the Ming dynasty, is in the Qing Court collection, Beijing, and is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 22, no. 11.
A luohanchuang and kang table, apparently from the same workshop and of very closely related design, although dated middle Qing, are illustrated in Ming Qing Gongting Jiaju Da Guan, Beijing, 2006, pp. 62-63, no. 40.
A luohanchuang and kang table, apparently from the same workshop and of very closely related design, although dated middle Qing, are illustrated in Ming Qing Gongting Jiaju Da Guan, Beijing, 2006, pp. 62-63, no. 40.