CHINE, XVIIÈME SIÈCLE

Horseshoeback armchairs of this type are represented in many public and private collections. The major distinguishing feature, other than the form of these chairs, is the decorative carving usually found on the splat and the apron. For a discussion of this design, see R.H. Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch'ing Dynasty, New York, 1971, pp. 86-7, and Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1990, pp. 43-5.

Examples of this popular form in huanghuali include a pair with carved ruyi heads on the splats, illustrated by Wang Shixiang and C. Evarts, Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, p. 56, no. 26, and later sold in these rooms, 19 September 1996, lot 99. A single huanghuali horseshoeback armchair, carved in similar fashion, is illustrated by R.H. Ellsworth in Chinese Furniture: One Hundred Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection, New York, 1996, pp. 68-9, no. 14, where it is dated to the late Ming dynasty, ca. 1600-1650. See, also, the 17th century pair of huanghuali horseshoeback armchairs with carved splats sold in these rooms, 15-16 September 2011, lot 1335.