RARE PAIRE DE FAUTEUILS EN HUANGHUALI, NANGUANMAOYIXVIIe/XVIIIe siècle A RARE PAIR OF HUANGHUALI 'SOUTHERN OFFICIAL HAT' ARMCHAIRS, NANGUANMAOYI 17th/18th century Each armchair generously proportioned with a well-figured rectangular S-shaped backsplat centred with a reticulated panel enclosing two entwined flowers, flanked by curved corner posts which extend through the rectangular seat frame enclosing a hard mat seat, the outcurved arms supported by tapering side posts and recessed front posts joined by a plain apron, the feet joined by the footrest. 104cm (41in) high x 56cm (22in) wide x 43.5cm (17 1/8in) deep. (2). Provenance: Jean-Pierre Rousset, Paris (1936-2021), acquired in the 1980's Displaying restrained lines and generous yet balanced statuesque proportions and enhanced by the rich lustre of the huanghuali honey-tone wood, the present pair of armchairs embodies the search for simplicity through the beauty and elegance of form, quintessential embodiments of the Ming and early Qing dynasty timeless aesthetic. The master carver allowed only one adornment - the openwork cartouche at the back of each of the backsplats displaying an intertwined blossom converging to form the shape of a lingzhi fungus, symbolic of long life. The 'Southern official's hat' armchair is one of the most prestigious forms of Chinese furniture. Whereas many armchairs of this form feature thick members and rigid lines, the present pair, displaying slender and elegant curves, has a most refined aesthetic, and represents among the most graceful examples of this design. The entirely uncarved surfaces, accentuated by the elegant beading focuses the beholder on the beauty in form and material. This particular design of 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 is achieved by a rounded, right-angle joint called a 'pipe-joint,' which is also used to join the curved arms to the front posts. 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; and see also a pair of related huanghuali 'Southern official's hat' armchairs, early 17th century, of similar proportions as the present lot, illustrated by R.Jacobsen and N.Grindley, Classical Chinese Furniture in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis , 1999, pp.52-53. An extremely fine and rare huanghuali low back continuous yokeback armchair,