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The throne: 38 ? in. (97.8 cm.) high, 43 5/8 in. (110.8 cm.) wide, 32 in. (81.3 cm.) deep; the foot rest: 7 ? in. (19.7 cm.) high, 33 ? in. (85.1 cm.) wide, 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) deep; the pair of incense stands: 39 3/8 in. (100 cm.) high, 20 1/8 (51.1 cm.) square
Acquired in San Francisco, 1990s.
An Imperial throne setting includes five elements of furniture: the throne, the pair of incense stands, the foot stool, the pair of fan holders, and the screen. This suite of furniture created a platform upon which the emperor would be seen by his subjects and embodied the ultimate symbol of imperial power. Their production was highly regulated in terms of size, decoration and the materials used. Placed centrally in an Imperial hall, every throne setting had to create an imposing scene by being majestic in scale, constructed of the finest and rarest materials, and of the highest possible workmanship. A carved red lacquer and jade-inlaid throne setting in the Qing Court collection, Beijing, and illustrated by Hu Desheng, The Palace Museum Collection: A Treasury of Ming and Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture, vol. 1, Beijing, c. 2007, pp. 14-15, fig. 1, exemplifies the awe-inspiring impression generated by this style of formal presentation. See, also, a red lacquer and zitan throne setting shown in situ in the "hall of Great Reverence" (Chong Jing Dian) and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 304, no. 257.Thrones come in two basic forms, differing only in the number of panels that form the back rest. The present example is composed of a single back panel flanked by two side panels forming the arms. The other variation is comprised of three back panels flanked by the two arms. The themes depicted on Imperial thrones tend to fall into distinct themes, including dragons among clouds or floral scenes, both of which are featured on the present throne. The depiction of the single-clawed dragon on the present throne compares closely with the single-clawed dragons on a red lacquer, gilt-decorated throne in the Qing Court collection, Beijing, and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), p. 31, no. 23. Further, the treatment and the composition of the stone inlay is similar to a jade-inlaid, zitan throne in the Qing Court collection, also illustrated ibid., p. 25, no. 18, which like the present throne, is decorated with hardstone inlay on the inward-facing side panels and back panel and lacquered on the outward-facing panels. By examining variations in design and treatments, such as the present suite, it is clear that if master craftsmen worked within the constraints of the emperor’s specific requests, they enjoyed a wide degree of freedom in their interpretation of the designs and as a result, almost all known suites of throne furniture appear to be different and individual in their designs. It is likely that that these throne sets would have been reserved for use in the important halls, chambers and formal rooms in the Imperial Household. It is very rare to find a complete imperial throne setting outside of the Qing Court collection. The present suite includes three of the five required elements: the screen was also available at the present owner’s time of purchase but the fate of the fan holders is unknown. This richly decorated throne setting, inlaid with vibrant and colorful hardstones and gilt paint, typified the sumptuous lifestyle of the Imperial Court in the late Qing period. It is easy to imagine how splendid this present suite of furniture would have been within an Imperial hall.