16th-17th century

The splat intricately carved with three panels, depicting, respectively, a scholars home, Shou with a boy and an insect. With backward and upward crooked crest rail spanning the back posts extending through the seat to become the splayed and upwards-tapering back legs, the crest rail joined by an s-curved, carved triptych back splat with openwork base fitted into the seat frame; the back post rails are mortise and tenoned into continuous arm rests fitted high into the back which crook and curve as they descend to join curved arm supports fitted to a mitered seat frame which encloses a well figured, floating single board of huanghuali the seat above carved and shaped friezes; the square front legs and round back legs joined by stretchers on all sides, the front legs terminating in inward pointing hoofed feet.



Dimensions: Height: 37 in. Width: 21 in. Depth: 16 in.

The chair was covered with red lacquer at one time, which would have contrasted with the three finely carved panels on the S-shaped splat. Please see photos for detail images showing remnants of the original red lacquer on the uncarved areas of the figural panels. The left arm support and the back stretcher (which joins rear legs) are replaced. The openwork area on the back splat has a replaced keyfret element on the right side. There is an old vertical patch to the lower right area of the central carved panel of "Shou"with a boy.