Lowback Chair
CultureChinese
Date17th-18th century
MediumPurple sandalwood (zitan)
DimensionsOverall: 37 × 22 7/8 × 18 1/2 inches (93.98 × 58.1 × 46.99 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust
Object number33-68
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 202
Collections
DescriptionA low-back armchair with a horizontal toprail which curves at the ends to receive the tenons at the top of the rear posts (known as a pipe joint). The rear posts, which taper to this joint, splay slightly and pass through the seat frame to form the back legs. The short S-curved splat is tenoned into the underside of the toprail and into the toprail of a three-part framed frieze which, in turn, appears to be tenoned into the inside edges of the rear posts. The downswept arms are joined to the front posts, probably by a tapering dovetail tenon, and the front posts also continue through the seat frame to form the front legs. A two-part framed frieze is tenoned between the front and rear posts with a central tapering rat-tail post joining it to the underside of the arm. The splat carved with a ruyi-shaped medallion with interlocking ends is flanked by shallow spandrels with raised beaded edges. The slightly recessed panels in the friezes are tongue-and-grooved into the inside edges of the rounded frame members and pierced with a shaped openwork design terminating in small ruyi medallions. The seat was originally drilled for soft seat construction but now has a hard matting seat with replaced matting but probably the original trimming strips. The outside edge of the seat frame is of gently curved shape with a square shoulder below. The hump-back aprons, with mitred, mortise and tenon joints at the hump are mitred and tenoned into a similarly molded frame which is affixed to the inside edge of the legs and to the underside of the seat frame. The box frame stretchers are of ascending heights with short-eared aprons to the footrail and side stretchers. Late 17th century significantly modified in the 18th century.Gallery LabelLowback chairs were less formal than high-back chairs and were reserved for lower ranking guests; they were also less comfortable, since the lower back afforded less support and the back panel was straight rather than S-shaped. The S-shaped panel on these two chairs shows that they were originally high-back chairs. They were probably cut down in the 18th century, when low-back chairs became fashionable. Zitan (purple sandalwood) was the most prized of all woods, so these chairs would have been very valuable.
Peking Crafts Shop;
Purchased from Peking Crafts Shop by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1933.
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