A rare 'four-corners-exposed' official's hat arm chair, sichutouguanmaoyi, China, Ming dynasty, 17th century. Estimate $300,000 – $500,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The elegantly shaped, protruding crestrail supported on a well-figured S-shaped splat and gracefully curving rear posts continuing to form the rear legs, the curved arm rails supported on tapering vertical stiles and extending beyond the front posts, the huanghuali seat within the rectangular frame above beaded aprons and spandrels, all raised on legs of rounded square section joined by stepped stretchers and foot rest - 45 ¾ in. (116.3 cm.) high, 23 ¼ in. (59.1 cm.) wide, 19 1/8 in. (48.6 cm.) deep

Provenance: The Collection of Robert H. Ellsworth, New York, before 1984.

Literature: A. Martin, “American Mandarin,” Connoisseur, November 1984, p. 99.

Notes: The 'four corners-exposed' armchair is one of the earliest and classic forms found in huanghuali furniture design. The elegant lines and grand proportions of the present chair are especially attractive. A number of variations on this type are known, including those with rounded or squared members, those with carved splats, and those with added decorative carving or embellishment. A similar example dated to the 17th century, and also with arm rails supported on single curved tapering vertical stiles is illustrated by Wang Shixiang and Curtis Evarts, Masterpieces From the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, p. 48. See, also, the similarly proportioned chair sold at Christie's New York, 19-20 September 2013, lot 1565.

Christie's. THE COLLECTION OF ROBERT HATFIELD ELLSWORTH PART I - MASTERWORKS INCLUDING INDIAN, HIMALAYAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN WORKS OF ART, CHINESE AND JAPANESE WORKS OF ART, 17 March 2015, New York, Rockefeller Plaza