17TH-18TH 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. The present pair is finely carved on the back splats with a ruyi-form medallion enclosing a pair of confronting chilong and flanked by shaped spandrels. The shaped aprons are further detailed with conjoined leafy scroll. 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 pair of huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs with similar carving on the back splats and aprons was sold at The Marie Theresa L. Virata Collection of Asian Art: A Family Legacy; Christie’s New York, 16 March 2017, lot 607.