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16 septembre 2019

A very rare Imperial hardstone-inlaid, gilt-decorated lacquer throne setting, 19th century

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Lot 891. A very rare Imperial hardstone-inlaid, gilt-decorated lacquer throne setting, 19th century. The throne: 38 ½ in. (97.8 cm.) high, 43 5/8 in. (110.8 cm.) wide, 32 in. (81.3 cm.) deep; the foot rest: 7 ¾ in. (19.7 cm.) high, 33 ½ in. (85.1 cm.) wide, 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) deep; the pair of incense stands: 39 3/8 in. (100 cm.) high, 20 1/8 (51.1 cm.) squareEstimate USD 80,000 - USD 120,000. Price realised USD 81,250© Christie's Image Ltd 2019.

The throne setting is comprised of a throne, a pair of incense stands, and a foot rest, all finely decorated in gilt.
The stepped back and arms of the throne are inlaid with various hardstones depicting flowering branches, including prunus, chrysanthemum, and camellia within shaped cartouches surrounded by carved, stylized angular scrollwork outlined in gilt, and with lotus scroll on the edges. The seat is decorated with three single-clawed dragons chasing a flaming pearl amidst five bats and scrolling clouds, above a narrow waist, a lappet border, and a shaped apron carved with angular scrollwork. The whole is raised on short, square-form legs terminating in hoof feet joined by base stretchers.
The foot rest is decorated in gilt with a central lotus flower amidst lotus scroll above a narrow waist and lappet border. The whole is raised on squat legs terminating in hoof feet joined by base stretchers above square chucks.
The pair of incense stands is decorated on top in gilt with the Eight Buddhist Emblems amidst intertwining scrollwork and floral scrolls with conjoined ruyi at the center and the corners, above the narrow waist, lappet border, and aprons carved with stylized angular scrollwork outlined in gilt. The whole is raised on square-form legs further decorated with lotus scroll, and terminating in hoof feet joined by base stretchers.

ProvenanceAcquired in San Francisco, 1990s.

Note: An Imperial throne setting includes five elements of furniture: the throne, the pair of incense stands, the foot stool, the pair of fan holders, and the screen. This suite of furniture created a platform upon which the emperor would be seen by his subjects and embodied the ultimate symbol of imperial power. Their production was highly regulated in terms of size, decoration and the materials used. Placed centrally in an Imperial hall, every throne setting had to create an imposing scene by being majestic in scale, constructed of the finest and rarest materials, and of the highest possible workmanship. A carved red lacquer and jade-inlaid throne setting in the Qing Court collection, Beijing, and illustrated by Hu Desheng, The Palace Museum Collection: A Treasury of Ming and Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture, vol. 1, Beijing, c. 2007, pp. 14-15, fig. 1, exemplifies the awe-inspiring impression generated by this style of formal presentation. See, also, a red lacquer and zitan throne setting shown in situ in the "hall of Great Reverence" (Chong Jing Dian) and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, p. 304, no. 257.

Thrones come in two basic forms, differing only in the number of panels that form the back rest. The present example is composed of a single back panel flanked by two side panels forming the arms. The other variation is comprised of three back panels flanked by the two arms. The themes depicted on Imperial thrones tend to fall into distinct themes, including dragons among clouds or floral scenes, both of which are featured on the present throne. The depiction of the single-clawed dragon on the present throne compares closely with the single-clawed dragons on a red lacquer, gilt-decorated throne in the Qing Court collection, Beijing, and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), p. 31, no. 23. Further, the treatment and the composition of the stone inlay is similar to a jade-inlaid, zitan throne in the Qing Court collection, also illustrated ibid., p. 25, no. 18, which like the present throne, is decorated with hardstone inlay on the inward-facing side panels and back panel and lacquered on the outward-facing panels. By examining variations in design and treatments, such as the present suite, it is clear that if master craftsmen worked within the constraints of the emperor’s specific requests, they enjoyed a wide degree of freedom in their interpretation of the designs and as a result, almost all known suites of throne furniture appear to be different and individual in their designs. It is likely that that these throne sets would have been reserved for use in the important halls, chambers and formal rooms in the Imperial Household.

It is very rare to find a complete imperial throne setting outside of the Qing Court collection. The present suite includes three of the five required elements: the screen was also available at the present owner’s time of purchase but the fate of the fan holders is unknown. This richly decorated throne setting, inlaid with vibrant and colorful hardstones and gilt paint, typified the sumptuous lifestyle of the Imperial Court in the late Qing period. It is easy to imagine how splendid this present suite of furniture would have been within an Imperial hall.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, New York, 13 September 2019

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