A pair of huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs, quanyi, Qing dynasty, 18th century 清十八世紀 黃花梨圈椅一對

Collection of the Reverend Richard Fabian.
Sotheby's New York, 15th March 2016, lot 41.

Richard Fabian 牧師收藏
紐約蘇富比2016年3月15日，編號41

The present pair of chairs is notable for the lack of carved decoration on the splat, with most examples carved with a stylized cloud-form medallion, and the equally austere treatment of the apron and long flange brackets. Additionally the flange brackets to either side of the back posts are an unusual feature and one that would have been an effective means to reinforce the vulnerable scarf joint of the wide bending toprail. For a discussion on this design, see Robert Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture, New York, 1970, pp. 86-87, and Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, vol. 1, Hong Kong, 1990, pp. 43-45.