A Pair of Hongmu Square Stools, Fangdeng Qing Dynasty, 18th Century

each mat seat set in a square framed top with rounded edge, above a wrap around stretcher with pairs of interlaced ring struts and supported on round legs

Purchased from Hei Hung-Lu, Hong Kong, late 1980s/early 1990s.

The stools are in good condition with the exception of replaced hard matt seats, possibly replaced trimming strips and minor surface scratches and wear commensurate with age.
"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."

A huanghuali stool of this type, similarly modelled with decorative struts between ‘wrap-around’ stretchers, from the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts, Beijing, is illustrated in Wang Shixiang, ‘Development of Furniture Design and Construction from the Song to the Ming’, Chinese Furniture. Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-1999, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 49 pl. 20; and a pair was sold in our New York rooms, 19^th/20^th October 1988, lot 515.

Decorative braces in the form of two interlocking rings, which symbolise double-happiness, were widely used on Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasty furniture. See for example a horseshoe-back armchair attributed to the Ming dynasty, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in A Treasury of Ming and Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture, Beijing, 2007, vol. 1, 73; and a daybed in the Honolulu Academy of Arts, published in Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture. Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch’ing Dynasties, New York, 1971, pl. 37.