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Lot Essay
Refer to "An Interview with Dr. S.Y. Yip" at the front of this catalogue, p. ADD PAGE #, for the circumstances in which these two chairs were acquired (separately) and re-united.
Horseshoeback armchairs with set back front posts are rare. Compare the set of four horseshoeback armchairs sold at Christie's, New York, Important Chinese Furniture, Formerly the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture Collection, 19 September, 1996, lot 41, with arms that continue in a curve that sweeps back direct to the front posts which, like the present example, are set back from the corners.
Another similarity is the "tianyuan difang" (round heaven, square earth) design, in which frame members above the seat are round-sectioned and those below are square-sectioned. This is striking in the single piece that forms each of the square-sectioned back legs and continues above the seat to become round-sectioned.
Horseshoeback armchairs with set back front posts are rare. Compare the set of four horseshoeback armchairs sold at Christie's, New York, Important Chinese Furniture, Formerly the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture Collection, 19 September, 1996, lot 41, with arms that continue in a curve that sweeps back direct to the front posts which, like the present example, are set back from the corners.
Another similarity is the "tianyuan difang" (round heaven, square earth) design, in which frame members above the seat are round-sectioned and those below are square-sectioned. This is striking in the single piece that forms each of the square-sectioned back legs and continues above the seat to become round-sectioned.