A Rare Pair of Huanghuali Benches Qing Dynasty, 18th Century

each of rectangular form with soft-cane seats supported on a plain beaded square-shaped apron, the four circular-section legs slightly splayed in the front and end elevations, joined together by a pair of oval-sectioned stretchers on the two narrow sides, the wood of warm golden tone

Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: One Hundred Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection, New York, 1996, pp. 54-55, no. 7.

The overall condition of both benches is good. There are expected filled and patched repairs to several small splits and chips; particularly on the legs and feet. There are scattered water stains on the seat frames and it is possible that one or more of the short end aprons has been replaced.
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Benches are the workhorse of Chinese furniture. Used in entryways and reception hallways, benches had to be sturdy and portable to withstand regular use. The business of running a large household meant that visitors came and went all day and night. Benches were adaptable; they could be used for seating or for creating temporary platforms and work surfaces. They were used in shops and by street vendors, in homes of the wealthy and poor.  Most benches were lacquered over locally available wood and were of rough construction, appropriate for exterior entry areas.

For a functional, working form, why would a cabinetmaker make a bench of a rare and costly hardwood?  Hardwood is extremely durable, able to withstand years of use.  Some types of hardwood were chosen for benches because the material was locally available and other benches, such as this pair, used huanghuali because it was the best material available for a special use or location.

The caned seating surface, circular-section legs, and beaded apron are evidence that these benches were made by a craftsman experienced with creating fine quality furniture. These trestle-form benches, with recessed legs slotted into the spandrels, are different from the more common types of huanghuali benches with corner legs.  Unlike most benches, huanghuali benches were almost certainly made for interior use.

There are no published examples of this exact form, but a similar sized bench in huanghuali with cloud-scroll spandrels and feet, from the Tseng Ridell collection is illustrated in Splendor of Style: Classical Furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1999, p. 63.