A RARE PAIR OF HUANGHUALI HORSESHOE-BACK ARMCHAIRS, QUANYI
17th centuryBoth chairs gracefully defined by a graceful S-shaped back splat carved with a ruyi cartouche enclosing entwining chilong dragons, the curving toprail continuing to the armrests with curled back ends, supported on the round-section back posts, with tapered serpentine side posts, the soft-mat seat on rounded legs joined by a plain apron and a stepped stretcher frame above the feet. 97cm (38 1/8in) high x 58cm (22 7/8in) wide x 45cm (17 6/8in) deep. (2).
注脚
十七世紀 黃花梨圈椅成對Provenance: an important European private collection來源:歐洲重要私人收藏Elegantly constructed with a wide back splat precisely carved with confronted chilong enclosed within a ruyi-shaped medallion, the present chairs convey their aesthetic appeal through the fluid movement suggested by their continuous crest rails, which convey a sense of containment and ease to their occupants. The curved members of the crestrails were obtained by cutting a bent piece of wood or constructing the bend from segments. Most horseshoe-back rails are composed of five segments. However, a number of examples exist which are constructed with just three members, including the present pair. The three-member rail was more difficult to obtain as it required extravagant use of the expensive huanghuali wood and was more vulnerable to damage, thus making the present pair particularly rare.The half-lapped pressure-peg join used to create the generous graceful curve of the crest rail of the present pair of armchairs was in architectural use from the 11th century for beams, sills and lintels. Its use on a smaller form and in a highly-resinous, tightly-grained hardwood required the craftsman's most careful attention. The huanghuali wood had to be very carefully chosen so that the grain was bent with the curve to ensure a strong join and created to aesthetically pleasing and enduring proportions.Quanyi armchairs were either left undecorated or carved on the splats and aprons with raised motifs, as the present pair is; see R.H.Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture. Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, New York, 1971, p.86.A similar huanghuali 'horseshoe-back' armchair, late 16th/early 17th century, is illustrated by G.Wu Bruce, Ming Furniture, Hong Kong, 2008, p.10, no.1. Compare with a related huanghuali 'horseshoe-back' armchair, 17th/18th century, which was sold at Christie's New York, 18 March 2015, lot 139.圈椅扶手五接,兩端出頭迴轉收尾。靠背板上端開光浮雕雙螭龍紋,後腿上截出榫納入圈形彎弧扶手,下穿過椅盤成為腿足,鵝脖與前腿足亦相同造法。扶手與鵝脖間打槽嵌入小角牙,扶手左右支以三彎聯幫棍。籐編座面,椅盤以下三面用窪堂肚券口牙板。腿間施步步高趕棖,踏腳棖及左右兩側管腳棖下各安一素牙子。此對黃花梨圈椅造型圓婉,線條流暢,通過巧妙的楔釘榫連接硬木木料,構造出圓勁有力的扶手曲線。這種曲面的形式或源自十一世紀的木構建築,但當縮小至方寸之間,任何輕微誤差都會謬以千里,更需工匠小心選材,精工細作,才能確保器物美觀耐用。除光素無飾的圈椅外,多數圈椅的後背板都有相應裝飾;本例的浮雕雙螭龍或源自青銅禮器紋飾,是當時文人階層的崇古思潮在家具上的體現。見安思遠著,《Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch'ing Dynasties》,紐約,1971年,頁86。一具十六世紀晚期至十七世紀早期黃花梨圈椅,與本例相仿,見伍嘉恩著,《明式家具》,香港,2008,頁10,編號1。另可參考一件十七至十八世紀黃花梨圈椅,售於紐約佳士得,2015年3月18日,拍品編號139。
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