17TH-18TH CENTURY

Details

AN UNUSUAL AND RARE PAIR OF HUANGHUALI LOW-BACK ARMCHAIRS
17TH-18TH CENTURY
38 in. (96.5 cm.) high, 22 1/2 in. (57.2) wide, 18 1/4 in. (46.4 cm.) deep

Provenance

Private collection, California.

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Rufus Chen (陳嘉安) Head of Sale, AVP, Specialist

asianartny@christies.com +1 212 636 2180

Lot Essay

There are two types of rose chairs or meiguiyi. The most commonly seen type has an open back and arms framed by carved corner spandrels. The second, rarer type has a crestrail supported by a back splat. Rose chairs with back splats tend to be elaborate in their decoration, and with its distinctive, vase-form splat and openwork trellis pattern below the seat, the present pair are no exception. An identical pair measuring 96.5 cm. high is illustrated in N. Grindley, The Yunwai Lou Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 2013, no. 33. A pair of huanghuali low-back side chairs, fitted with the same beaded, vase-form splat but with solid aprons and spandrels below the seat was sold at Christie’s New York, 13 September 2019, lot 871. Such a distinctive design of the splat suggests these chairs could have been part of a special commission for a larger suite of furniture.

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