A pair of Chinese huanghuali armchairs, Sichutou Guanmaoyi 黄花梨四出頭官帽椅一對 Late Ming to Qing dynasty 晚明或清

With shaped serpentine crest-rail with protruding 'teardrop' ends, over a bowed splat and stiles, the serpentine arms with protruding "teardrop" handrests, over angled serpentine supports, the rectangular seat with inset hard mat seat, all over legs of circular section, shaped brackets, the front brackets with molded edge, staggered box stretcher, the timber of a rich reddish-brown with attractive figure.
H: 41 in.; W: 23 1/8 in; D: 21 in.

NOTE: ***PLEASE NOTE: Some countries and states prohibit the importation of items that contain materials from endangered species. Prospective buyers should familiarize themselves with the relevant customs restrictions prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country. Freeman's does not provide CITES documentation for import or export.*** The classic late Ming armchair “sichutou fushouyi 四出頭扶手椅” (“armchair with four protruding ends”) or “sichutou guanmaoyi 四出頭官帽椅” (“official’s-hat chair with four protruding ends”) was the highest development of the late Ming chair, and would have been reserved for the most important guest, or eldest or most honored member of a household. Within this form, there were a multitude of construction variations and decorative motifs which might be employed, resulting in a wide array of possible armchairs. This rare pair of huanghuali armchairs are exemplars of the most streamlined of the form, without additional ornament to distract the eye from the elegant serpentine crest rail, arms and fine joinery. The bowed form of the splat in the present pair is unusual, as the majority of published sichutou guanmaoyi chairs employ serpentine splats. A pair of 17th century armchairs with similar bowed splats were sold at Sotheby's, New York, March 23, 2011, lot 651. For other pairs of this type of armchair see the pair sold at Christie's, New York, March 18, 2021, lot 751 (dated 19th/early 20th century); another pair sold Nagel Auction, Stuttgart, December 8, 2020, lot 5; the pair with slightly more elaborate brackets under the seat front, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, November 30, 2020, lot 2827; and the pair sold at Sotheby's, New York, September 16, 2008, lot 211. For other published chairs, see George N. Kates, "Chinese Household Furniture", New York, 1962, no. 79; a pair with more elaborate front seat brackets and subsidiary arm supports illustrated in Sarah Handler "Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture", London 2001, p. 53. Compare also the chair illustrated in Wang Shixiang et al, "Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, Ming and Early Qing Dynasties", 1990, Vol. II, no. A70. See also the pair of armchairs illustrated in Robert D. Jacobsen and Nicholas Grindley, "Classical Chinese Furniture in the Minneapolis Institute of Art", Minneapolis 1999, p. 63, no. 13. 相關資料：是類經典晚明「四出頭扶手椅」或「四出頭官帽椅」當屬晚明座椅中的桂冠，以其常侍奉於座上賓，長者或德高望重者。製式雖規整，然其形製，裝飾紋樣則不一而足。是對罕有的黃花梨座椅光素無紋飾之勞形；而扶手與搭腦之圓曲流暢，工藝考究處一覽無余，堪稱同類形製中優雅之典範。又以其弓形靠背板不同凡響，有別於大多數出版四出頭官帽椅之流線型靠背板。一對擁有相似弓形靠背板的黃花梨扶手椅於2011年3月23日經紐約蘇富比售出拍品編號651。另見一對相似扶手椅於2021年3月18日經經紐約佳士得售出拍品編號751（年代19世紀至20世紀初期）；另見一對於2020年12月8日經斯圖加特Nagel拍賣行售出拍品編號5；券口部分稍華麗的一對經香港佳士得於2020年11月30日售出拍品編號2827；一對經紐約蘇富比於2008年9月16日售出拍品編號211。其他類似椅子可參考著錄出版，見一對於George N. Kates所著的 "Chinese Household Furniture", 紐約, 1962, 編號. 79；另見一例券口部分更華麗且有聯幫棍於Sarah Handler 所著"Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture", 倫敦 , 2001, 頁. 53. 亦可參見王世襄所著 "Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, Ming and Early Qing Dynasties", 1990, 冊. II, 編號. A70. 或見一對扶手椅於Robert D. Jacobsen和Nicholas Grindley所著"Classical Chinese Furniture in the Minneapolis Institute of Art", Minneapolis 1999, 頁. 63, 編號. 13

PROVENANCE:

Acquired by the mother of the present owner, circa 1950

Thence by descent