A Pair of Huanghuali Corner-Leg Stools, Fangdeng Qing Dynasty, 18th Century

each with soft-mat seat set in a square framed top with 'ice-plate' edge above a straight waist and simple beaded apron, supported on square section legs terminating in hoof feet and joined by humpback stretchers

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

The stools are in good condition with the exception of replaced stretchers beneath the soft matt seat, possibly replaced trimming strips, a small patch to the top of one leg and typical surface 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."

While stools of this design, with gently curving legs ending in horse-hoof feet and humpback stretchers, represent one of the most reproduced forms in Chinese furniture, and the present pair is notable for its soft-cane seat. The general decline in cane workers saw the demise in basket weaving, which meant that chairs with soft-cane seats, such as the present pair, were gradually replaced with hard seats. Wang Shixiang in Connoissuership of Chinese Furniture. Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1990, vol. 1, p. 174, notes that soft-cane seats are not only ergonomic, adjusting subtly to the changing movements and weight shifts of the sitting human form, they also allow air flow; hence they were favoured in the areas of Suzhou and Guangzhou from the Ming dynasty onwards.

Compare a set of four stools of this square waisted form and with humpback stretchers, from the S.Y. Yip collection, included in the exhibition Ming Furniture. The Dr S.Y. Yip Collection, Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, 2015, cat. no. 11; another set, in the Tseng Riddell collection, included in the exhibition Splendor of Style. Classical Chinese Furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1999, pp. 64-66; a pair from the collection of Dr Karl Benno Gruber, sold in our New York rooms, 18^th September 2007, lot 77; and a another pair from the collection of Robert H. Ellsworth sold at Christie’s New York, 18^th March 2015, lot 130.