Provenance:Private Scottish Collection.Note:Originally used only by the Emperors and princes, hunting chairs became popular among high ranking officials in the later period who commissioned these fine portable seats for themselves. These chairs accompanied their owners who often rode ahead on horse-back during hunts while male servants carried them upon their back and followed behind on foot.One of the key features of these chairs is the surface carving. Imbued with traditional Chinese symbols of positive meanings, the chair also indicates the owner's wealth and status. Running along the façade of the seat are auspicious Chi-dragons, and on the splat are carved fortuitous symbols of good fortune, long life and prosperity which run the gamut from lively Qilin (Chinese unicorn), lotus blooms, Buddhist lions among other bears of luck.The hunting chair can be folded with ease, and comes with a handsome attached foot-stool with brass inlay. The brass fittings on the chair lends it a sense of strength whilst providing highlights to the piece. The ageless flowing dense grains of the precious Huanghuali adds greatly to the chair's grand appeal.For a similar chair, see Christie's Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale in their London rooms on 8th November 2011, lot 273. See also Wang Shixiang: Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, p. 56, pl. A93; Wang Shixiang: Classic Chinese Furniture, Ming and Early Qing Dynasty, p. 106, pl. 58.