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拍品专文
The present set of four chairs displays an unparalleled grace and finesse seen only in the finest furniture dated to the Ming dynasty. Several features distinguish this magnificent set: the grand proportions, the bold, exaggerated curve of the crest rail, the exceptionally well-carved sweeping handles that cantilever beyond the front post and terminate in robustly rounded ends, and the beautifully figured S-form backsplat. The curved, matched backsplats have the same beautifully figured grain and confirm that all four splats were cut from the same section of timber. The large sections of huanghuali required to achieve the dramatic curves of the arms, crest rails, and splats would have resulted in a significant amount of wastage, and suggests the enormous financial resources of the patron who commissioned the set. The impressive height, measuring just over 47 in. or 120 cm. high, adds to this elegant, imposing form. A pair of huanghuali ‘official’s hat’ armchairs with rounded ends, measuring 48 in. or 122 cm. high, illustrated in R. D. Jacobsen, Classical Chinese Furniture in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1999, pp. 50-1, no. 8., appear to be among the tallest chairs recorded. A single huanghuali ‘official’s hat’ armchair, of comparable date to the present set, silhouette and proportions, formerly in the Collection of Frank Finnell and Marie Hinman, was sold at Christie’s New York, 22 September 2023, lot 951.
A set of four huanghuali ‘official’s hat’ armchairs, formerly in the Architect Ignazio Vok Collection, published by N. Grindley et al., Pure Form: Classical Chinese Furniture: Vok Collection, Padua, 2004, pls. 6-9, was sold at Christie’s New York, 17-18 September 2015, lot 2030. The Vok set is the most comparable to the present set of four armchairs. Not only are the chairs similar in their monumental proportions and striking silhouette, but also in the unusual carved designs below the seat, seen in the delicate floral carving on the cusped apron and spandrels. The remarkable resemblances between the two sets suggest that this initial commission could have been for a larger set of eight or twelve chairs, and possibly from the same workshop. Large sets of chairs would have been reserved for formal use and would convey to any visitor the distinguished status of the house and family. The chairs would have instilled a sense of dignity and power on any sitter.
To find a true set of four chairs is very rare. Fine chairs were prized for their beauty and their materials, thus complete sets are rarely preserved. It was common for sets of four, or eight chairs, to be divided into singles or pairs. Only a few prominent sets are known, most notably the exquisite set of four huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs from the Robert H. Ellsworth Collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 17 March 2015, lot 41, which realized a record-breaking price of $9,685,000, and the set of four from Architect Ignazio Vok mentioned above. A rare set of four huanghuali side chairs, with evocative dali marble panels, was sold at Christie’s New York, 20 September 2024, lot 829. (Fig. 1)
A set of four huanghuali ‘official’s hat’ armchairs, formerly in the Architect Ignazio Vok Collection, published by N. Grindley et al., Pure Form: Classical Chinese Furniture: Vok Collection, Padua, 2004, pls. 6-9, was sold at Christie’s New York, 17-18 September 2015, lot 2030. The Vok set is the most comparable to the present set of four armchairs. Not only are the chairs similar in their monumental proportions and striking silhouette, but also in the unusual carved designs below the seat, seen in the delicate floral carving on the cusped apron and spandrels. The remarkable resemblances between the two sets suggest that this initial commission could have been for a larger set of eight or twelve chairs, and possibly from the same workshop. Large sets of chairs would have been reserved for formal use and would convey to any visitor the distinguished status of the house and family. The chairs would have instilled a sense of dignity and power on any sitter.
To find a true set of four chairs is very rare. Fine chairs were prized for their beauty and their materials, thus complete sets are rarely preserved. It was common for sets of four, or eight chairs, to be divided into singles or pairs. Only a few prominent sets are known, most notably the exquisite set of four huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs from the Robert H. Ellsworth Collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 17 March 2015, lot 41, which realized a record-breaking price of $9,685,000, and the set of four from Architect Ignazio Vok mentioned above. A rare set of four huanghuali side chairs, with evocative dali marble panels, was sold at Christie’s New York, 20 September 2024, lot 829. (Fig. 1)