A PAIR OF HUANGHUALI HORSESHOEBACK ARMCHAIRS, QUANYI 17TH CENTURY

each with a curving crest rail terminating in everted handgrips, above a bowed backsplat, carved with a stylised ruyi-shaped medallion and flanked by narrow shaped-flange brackets, with soft cane seat and moulded seat frame, on circular legs joined by shaped aprons and foot stretchers

Collection of Dr J.H. Zeeman, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of the Netherlands, Beijing, 1954-1957.
Thence by descent.

The chairs are in good condition with the exception of loss to the back corner (circa 2 x 2 x 4cm.) of one foot, loss to the front apron beneath the stretcher on one chair, cracks to the rear shaped apron beneath the seat of one chair, and overall minor nicks and light scratches to both.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Chairs of this type, known as quanyi in Chinese, developed from round-back folding chairs, as explained by furniture specialist Hu Desheng in The Palace Museum Collection. A Treasury of Ming and Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture, vol. 1, Beijing, 2007, p. 92. Hu, ibid., p. 92, further notes that because of its round backrest and smooth, downward-sloping armrest, folding chairs were exceptionally comfortable and highly favoured. Over time, they gradually developed into the ‘round-back chair’, as seen here, which were made for interior use as opposed to folding chairs that were garden or outdoor furnishings.  They also differed from folding chairs with their straight legs and hard seat panels that retained traces of the crossed-leg chair form. During the Ming and Qing periods, chairs of this type were frequently called ‘grand tutor’s chair’ or taishi yi, referring to their popularity amongst the gentry and scholar-literati.

While the majority of quanyi are undecorated, the small carved medallions on the back splat of this pair are added embellishments that give them a hint of elegance while maintaining the simplicity of the form.  Horseshoeback armchairs can be found in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included ibid., figs. 67-76; formerly in the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture sold at Christie’s New York, 19^th September 1996, lot 41; and a plain pair of chairs in the collection of Messrs. Robert and William Drummond, published in Gustav Ecke, Chinese Domestic Furniture, Rutland and Tokyo, 1962, pl. 106. Compare also a closely related chair included in the exhibition Chinese Huanghuali Furniture From a Private Collection, Eskenazi, London, 2011, cat. no. 10; and one in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Craig Clunas, Chinese Furniture, London, 1988, where on p. 27, a folding armchair, from the collections of Sir Harry Garner and Lady Garner, is also published.