17TH CENTURY

Huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs can be found in numerous public and private collections, but few examples combine the elegant curving lines of the arms, back splat, and supporting stiles with this beautifully-grained and rich material. For a discussion of this form, see R. H. Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch'ing Dynasties, New York, 1971, pp. 86-7 and Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, vol. I, Hong Kong, 1990, pp. 43-5. A single huanghuali horseshoe-back armchair with a carved ruyi-head medallion on the splat, dated to the 17th century, was sold at Christie’s New York, 23-24 September 2021, lot 997.