A PAIR OF LARGE HUANGHUALI HIGH CONTINUOUS YOKEBACK ARMCHAIRS LATE MING DYNASTY

each elegantly proportioned with slender members, the top rail carved with a headrest in the centre and hidden mortised and tennoned into the stiles on both ends, the stiles extending through the seat frame and continuing as back legs, a plain S-shaped back splat tongue-and-grooved into the top rail and tennoned into the seat frame, the S-shaped arms hidden mortised and tennoned into posts extending through the seat frame and continuing as the front legs, each side with an S-shaped circular-sectioned support fitted in round sockets in the seat frame and the underside of the arms, the seat of standard mitre, mortise and tenon construction with exposed tenons, moulding inward and ending in a beaded edge with two transverse braces mortised and tennoned to the seat frame underneath, a wide flat-banded-edged spandrelled apron butt-joined to the underside of the seat and continuing tongue-and-grooved into the legs and tennoned into the curved foot rail, the aprons on the sides similarly shaped without bands and the one at the back left plain and high, the slightly splayed legs joined by square-sectioned stretchers rounded on the outside, the footrest and side stretchers supported on plain, humpback-shaped aprons

Grace Wu Bruce, Dreams of Chu Tan Chamber and the Romance with Huanghuali wood: The Dr. S. Y. Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture, Hong Kong, 1991, cat. no. 3, pp. 26-27.
The Chinese Collections, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, 1997-99.
Grace Wu Bruce presents Ming Furniture from the Collection of Dr. S. Y. Yip, Institute of Contemporary Art, London, 1999.
Grace Wu Bruce, Grace Wu Bruce presents a choice selection of Ming Furniture from the Dr. S. Y. Yip collections, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, 2012, pp. 14-15.

The chairs are in an exceptional state of preservation. As typical of Ming chairs, the matting has been periodically replaced. There are minor areas of strengthening and consolidation, as expected of furniture of this period. The chair photoed on the left (page 86 in catalogue photo) has a minor area of consolidation to the back left corner. Other general surface wear, age cracks and insignificant bruises. As expected of Ming furniture, there is minor retouching to the fragile extremities.
"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 pair of high back chairs can grace any living room with an air of nobility. The taller the back – the more senior the ranking."

Continuous yoke-back armchairs are a classic type of Ming chairs.  The ranking of chairs in the Ming period was hierarchical with large size and high back chairs being deemed more important seats reserved for the master of the house and senior guests.  The present examples with their extremely high backs must mean they were seats of great importance at the time.

Except for a beaded edge on the seat frame and a flat-banded edge on the front apron underneath the seat, this pair of chairs is completely plain. Consequently, its height and statuesque proportions are emphasised. The timber chosen for the back splats has whorl patterns, showing huanghuali wood at its best. While the design of these chairs is standard, their exceptional height and fine proportion places them among the best examples of their type.

Comparable examples except for the inlaid material on the back splat are illustrated in Nancy Berliner, Beyond the Screen: Chinese Furniture of the 16th and 17th centuries, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1996, p. 111. For a similar but single chair in the Vok Collection, see Pure Form: klassische Möbel aus China / Pure Form: Classical Chinese Furniture Vok collection, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst Köln, Munich, 2004, pl. 10.