A HUANGHUALI YOKEBACK ARMCHAIR, NANGUANMAOYI
17th/18th century
The chair with a curved crest rail supported on curved rear posts and a s-shaped splat, the arm rails supported on slender, tapering standing stiles terminating in the front posts above the soft-mat seat supported by a board, all above a plain apron of square section and raised on legs of square section joined by straight stretchers and a plain footrest. 113.5cm (44 5/8in) high x 44cm (17 3/8in) deep x 58cm (22 7/8in) wide.
Footnotes:
十七/十八世紀 黃花梨高靠背南官帽椅

Provenance: Klas E Böök (1909-1980), Sweden, acquired during his service as Swedish Ambassador to Beijing, 1956-1961, and thence by descent

來源：Klas E Böök (1909-1980)，瑞典，在擔任瑞典駐北京大使期間獲得，1956-1961，並由後人保存迄今。

A Swedish diplomat and civil servant, Mr Böök first had a career in banking, that led up to the position of Governor of the Swedish National Bank from 1948 to 1951. His diplomatic career began when he was appointed head of the Commercial Department of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and envoy from 1947 to 1948. He was Minister in Ottawa from 1951 to 1956, Ambassador in Beijing from 1956 to 1961, and also accredited as envoy to Bangkok from 1956 to 1959. Böök was the Swedish Ambassador to New Delhi, India, and also accredited to Colombo and Kathmandu from 1961 to 1965 and in Bern from 1965 to 1972. He had special assignments for the Swedish Foreign Ministry from 1972 to 1975.

Characterised by restrained lines and generous yet balanced statuesque proportions, and enhanced by the rich lustre of the huanghuali honey-coloured wood, the present chair embodies the search for simplicity through the beauty and elegance of form, important requirements of the timeless aesthetic taste of the Ming dynasty.

The 'Southern official's hat' armchair is one of the most prestigious forms of Chinese furniture. Whereas many armchairs of this form displayed members and rigid lines, the present lot has slender and elegant curves. The entirely uncarved surfaces also suggests that the carpenter appreciated their beauty in form and material. The particular design for nanguanmaoyi chairs differs from the 'official's hat' armchair guanmaoyi in that the crestrails continue into the back posts, as opposed to extending horizontally beyond them. In addition, creating the continuous line of the crestrail joining into the rear upright posts was achieved by a rounded, right-angle joint called a 'pipe-joint,' which is also used to join the curved arms to the front upright posts.

According to Sarah Handler, the Chinese yokeback chair was considered the stately seat of Buddhists, deities, royalty and important people; see S.Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Hong Kong, 2001, p.43. Discussing the origin of this form, Robert Jacobsen and Nicholas Grindley refer to bent bamboo construction, popular in the Song and Ming dynasties, as a possible inspiration for the continuous top and arm rails which is a principal feature of 'Southern official's hat' armchairs. An illustration from the 'Legend of the Jade Hairpin' Yuzan Ji, dated circa 1570, depicts a pair of speckled-bamboo tall-back chairs with continuous crestrails; see R.Jacobsen and N.Grindley, Classical Chinese Furniture in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, 1999, pp.52-53.

Compare with a pair of very similar huanghuali 'Southern official's hat' armchairs, early 17th century, of similar proportions and shaped aprons and spandrels as the present examples, in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, illustrated by R.Jacobsen and N.Grindley, Classical Chinese Furniture in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, 1999, pp.52-53.

See also another nearly-identical pair of huanghuali 'Southern official's hat' armchairs, 17th century, which was sold at Bonhams London, 13 May 2021, lot 14.
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * TP Y
* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.
TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information.

For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.
Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the UK, see clause 13.