18TH/19TH CENTURY

Details

A MAGNIFICENT PAIR OF ZITAN ARMCHAIRS
18TH/19TH CENTURY
The panelled seats above square section legs terminating in scrolling feet, below stylised ruyi shaped aprons. The inset shaped arms are carved in relief with archaistic confronting dragons. The central panel of the three-sectioned arched back is carved with a bat suspending a chime and double fish, above dragons, flanked by two further panels of stylised dragons. The wood is of a rich, dark patina.
39 in. (99 cm.) high, 23 ? in. (59.3 cm.) wide, 18 ¼ in. (46.3 cm.) deep

Special notice

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Lot Essay

The present pair of zitan armchairs falls into a group of mid-Qing Palace furniture, primarily carved from zitan, and all of related form. The most distinctive characteristics of this group are high, protruding crestrails surmounting the splat, rounded, stepped armrails, and the substantial use of thick members of zitan, with heavily carved, highly ornamental decoration.

A similar example of a single zitan chair is illustrated by The Commercial Press, Hong Kong 2002, in Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, no. 53, p. 64. Also two further examples no's. 55 and 56, p.66 and 67.

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