I n Chinese, there’s a phrase: “第一把交椅” Dì yī bǎ jiāoyǐ" or “taking the first cross chair.” It means claiming the highest seat in the room.
This is that chair.
At first glance, it’s just a folding chair. Disarmingly simple. But how did this chair come to represent status, luxury, royalty? And why is it now considered one of the rarest chairs in the world?
Sotheby’s New York is delighted to present this important 'huanghuali' folding horseshoe-back armchair (Jiaoyi) as a part of Huanghuali for the Scholar's Studio: An Important Private Collection of Classical Chinese Furniture. The live auction will take place at the landmark Breuer building on 25 March 2026 at 09:00 EDT.
