A 'huanghuali' 'dragon' throne, Qing dynasty | 清 黃花梨雕雲龍紋椅

Acquired by the great grand uncle of the present owner in China, ca. 1910, and thence by family descent.

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現藏家之叔公得，約1910年於中國，此後家族傳承

The five panels on the back rest and sides are each carved with a four-clawed dragon in archaizing form, conveying the 'Five Blessings' (wufu) of old age, wealth, health, virtue, and peaceful passing away. Even though zitan wood was popular at the Qing court, huanghuali furniture was equally in use, as is suggested by a huojidang (Qing Imperial Household Archive) record dated the 43rd year of Qianlong (1778) that mentions that a 'throne chair made of huali wood' was presented to the Qianlong Emperor and was waiting for its location to be determined.

Compare a related throne with similar curling legs, also carved with five dragons, but with a single back panel carved in openwork, illustrated in Hu Desheng, A Treasury of Ming & Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture, vol. 1, Beijing, 2007, pl. 83; and another similar example with elaborate openwork carving, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1652.

此件寶座椅背及兩側五面圍板內皆雕螭龍，四爪張揚，姿態古拙，寓意「五福」：長壽、富貴、康寧、好德及善終。螭龍圖像取法上古，結合象徵吉祥之數，體現清宮家具寓意與裝飾雙重並重之傳統。雖紫檀木於清代宮廷尤為尊崇，惟黃花梨家具亦廣泛使用。據《清宮活計檔》乾隆四十三年（1778）記載，有「黃花梨木交椅一張」奉呈乾隆帝，尚待指派安置地點，可證黃花梨家具於清宮之實際運用。

參考一件風格相近之寶座，亦飾五龍紋，腿足呈弧曲卷雲形，惟椅背為鏤雕一體式設計，著錄於胡德生，《明清宮廷家具珍賞》，卷一，北京，2007年，圖版83。另見一例構造類似且雕工繁縟之寶座，售於香港蘇富比，2007年10月9日，編號1652。