「The Art of Collecting」One Chair, One World; One Piece of Wood, One Universe

The ancient Chinese people’s obsession with chairs was never merely about “sitting and resting”. A chair embodies the Chinese belief in the roundness of the sky and the squareness of the earth, the principles of being both firm and flexible in dealing with the world, and the restrained aesthetic. The curves and wood grain of the chair’s structure are all infused with philosophical thoughts, fully showcasing the essence of Chinese aesthetics.

In the lineage of Ming-style seating furniture, the round-backed armchair is hailed as the pinnacle of oriental design. Take this huanghuali armchair carved with dragon pattern for instance. Its backrest is made from a single rare huanghuali wood board with a burl pattern. Burl wood is extremely rare and is a natural wonder that is hard to come by. The board’s grain resembles the swirling clouds and the ink-wash landscape, with natural raccoon spot grain and ghost-faced patterns that no carving can replicate. The carvings on the cartoucheare restrained and reserved, not overshadowing the inherent beauty of the natural wood grain. The perfect integration of natural fine materials and human craftsmanship makes it a classic of oriental classical furniture without question.

Another pair of huanghuali round-backedarmchairs features intricately carved cloud-head motifs on the backrest, with a continuous piece of wood forming the hanging brackets on both sides at the top. This design embodies the minimalist charm of “great skill without ostentation”. Such chairs are extremely rare and cherished by collectors. The purchase receipt has been kept to this day.

If the round-backed armchair embodies the philosophy of ritual, the lamp-hanger chair fully displays the refined character of scholars. This lamp-hanger chair has a very beautiful texture on its backrest, with gentle curves and a refined shape. The high-back version has a clear and smooth wood grain, and the chair body is firm. This style is often paired with elegant chair covers to add charm to the study. In the 2023 Spring Auction of China Guardian, a high-back lamp-hangerchair was sold for over 700,000 yuan. Judging from its form and size, it might be part of a pair.

This pair ofrose chairs carved with eagle pattern from the early Qing Dynasty is a rare masterpiece. It breaks the conventional form of rose chairs with their regular lattice, arch-shaped openings and framed backboards, integrating the arch-shaped opening and the backboard into one. The backboard is carved with an eagle standing on a rock, symbolizing the lofty character of “a hero standing alone”. There are approximately 300 extant rose chairs from the Ming Dynasty, and this unique structure and theme decoration are found in only this one pair. What’s even more remarkable is that the original photos of the chairs when they were discovered thirty years ago show that they are in their original condition. They have been passed down as a pair with a clear provenance, making them extremely rare treasures.

These five exquisite Ming and Qing Dynasty items, with their fine materials and exquisite craftsmanship, are about to make their debut at the Spring Auction of China Guardian. Seated in a small space, they will continue to tell the story of their quiet and noble spirit that spans over a century.

Collecting holds a world of secrets. That’s all for today. We’ll continue next time.