17TH CENTURY

Also known as a 'rose' chair, this type of chair was popular in the Ming dynasty for its light construction and elegant appearance. For a brief discussion of the lowback armchair and its Song dynasty predecessors, see Wang Shixiang, 'Development of Furniture Design and Construction from the Song to the Ming,' Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from Orientations, 1984-1999, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 44. Compare the related single chair in the Lan Xanmai Collection, illustrated by C. Evarts et al., Splendour of Style: Classical Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, p. 93. See, also, the similar pair of huanghuali meiguiyi sold in these rooms, 16 October 2001, lot 271.