‘Four-corners-exposed officials hat’ armchairs

Unlike what one expects from Chinese furniture, this pair of chairs are extremely comfortable while retaining high elegance.

Traditional Chinese cabinet makers were content to rely on the richly figured grain of the wood that they were using. It is the silky smoothness of the wood that brings out the beauty of such furniture.

Chinese furniture is generally made without any glue or nails-rather, the pieces are held together by a complicated network of joints. The highly developed techniques of joinery in China are probably only equaled in the east by those of Japan and Korea. Subtle craftsmanship together with the sure understanding of form and respect for quiet restraint characterizes Chinese furniture. The relations between the various structural components of a piece of furniture were functional and articulated. Ornamental carvings were kept to the barest minimum.

These Ch’ing dynasty chairs are made of Elmwood and are simple and utilitarian. They display an uncluttered form with well-matured polished surfaces. The chairs have a well carved, curved crest rail supported on a broad S-shaped splat and elegantly curved rear posts which continue to form the backrest of the chair. The curved arm rails are supported on tapered, curved vertical slats and extend beyond the curved front posts. The molded rectangular frames enclose an inset seat. The chairs share the same grand proportions as found in early extant Ming chairs.