A HUANGHUALI CONTINUOUS YOKEBACK ARMCHAIR (NANGUANMAOYI) 17TH CENTURY

with a slightly arched crestrail above an attractively figured splat well-carved with a central shaped foliate medallion, the gently serpentine armrests continuing in a curve to the corner posts, the hard cane seat with ice-plate edge raised on gently splayed legs joined by a low stretcher and a shaped and beaded apron carved with delicately interlocking leaf fronds, the underside with two transverse braces

Ming Furniture Ltd, New York, 1995.

Sarah Handler, Ming Furniture in the Light of Chinese Architecture, Berkeley, 2004, p. 118.

There are signs the chair may at one time have had metal mounts on the shoulders, and there is a slight gap between the top of the backsplat and the crestrail. The seat panel has been replaced as have the transverse braces. There is a patch on the armrest where it joins the front leg.The aprons are most probably later replacements. The wood of particularly good color.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This chair is particularly notable for its harmonious proportions. The undulating line of the crestrail is effectively echoed by the arms and cusped apron and finally reinforced by the foliate scrolls within the splat medallion and along the apron. The curvilinear elegance is beautifully balanced by the rectilinear form of the chair; the back which is slightly lower than normal reinforces this effect by rendering a more compact and sympathetic union between and among the design elements.

A similar pair of chairs dated to the Ming dynasty, but with plain backsplats, is illustrated in Grace Wu Bruce, Two Decades of Ming Furniture, Beijing, 2010, p.112.  Another pair, also with plain backsplats and dated to the 17th century, sold in these rooms, 12th April 1990, lot 631.