Yokeback Armchair, c. 1550. Huanghuali hardwood and burlwood, 115.57 x 64.77 x 62.87 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 95.93.1.

One of the oldest objects in the museum's collection of Chinese furniture, this grand armchair possesses distinct construction features and carved details that can also be seen in six nearly identical chairs in various Chinese and western collections. These pieces have a fu character (for happiness and good fortune) in the upper registers of their ornately carved divided splats. The turned arm supports depict bamboo stalks in vases, a rebus for peace and virtue. In spite of its functional nature, the chair nevertheless projects wishes for luck, happiness, peace, and virtue. Tall armchairs were reserved for use by the most important members of a Chinese family and guests of high status.

Continuous Roundback Armchairs, c. 1550. Huanghuali, cane; 102.9 x 61.9 x 48.3cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 99.65.1-2.

Incense stand, late 16th century. Huanghuali hardwood and marble, 78.3 x 53 x 37.5 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 2000.35.1.

Small square or rectangular high tables were generally used in wealthy households as incense stands. This sixteenth-century example has an inlaid marble top that provided a durable, fire-retardant surface for the burning of rare fragrances. Incense stands were typically fitted with floor-stretchers (horizontal leg braces) creating, in effect, a space-frame of well-balanced proportions and minimalist form. All edges and corners of the wooden members are rounded including the foot of each leg. This softens an otherwise rigid box-like shape into a more aesthetically pleasing one. Such stands were used individually indoors and out, in pairs flanking thrones, and as stands in front of ancestral shrines or large altar tables.

Illustrated Ming books suggest that both round and square incense stands were common in upper-class households, but due to fragility of construction remarkably few have survived. Burning of aromatic incense was undertaken in ceremonial worship, as a connoisseur's pastime, and for the general perfuming of interior spaces.

Yokeback Armchairs, 16th-17th century. Huanghuali hardwood and rattan, 110.17 x 60.33 x 48.26 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 98.78.2.1-2.

These early yokeback armchairs are distinguished by their generous proportions and robust bow-shaped crest rails. In this sense, the chairs relate in form to the wide and stately "meditation" seats of Buddhist monks illustrated in early Chinese paintings. The chairs can be seen as a stylistic interlude between the earlier true meditation chairs with round crest rails and the proportionally taller, more elegant, classic yokeback armchair that had become standard by the late 16th century on view in this gallery. The turned side posts supporting the arms simulate a vase containing a stalk of bamboo symbolizing peace and longevity.

Portable Long Table, 16th-17th century. Huanghuali hardwood, 85.41 x 226.7 x 40.01 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 97.25.1a-i.

This long, plank-top table is specially designed to be easily dismantled for storage or transportation. Probably intended for use as an altar table, the carved phoenix decor in its bridal joint, spandrels and leg stretchers are typically Ming in spirit and reflective of the Suchou style. Long tables were made in both plain and decorative versions and were nearly always used placed against the wall. They typically displayed precious objects or ritual utensils such as censers or small statues used in religious ceremonies.

Six-Post Canopy Bed, early 17th century. Huanghuali hardwood, 227.97 x 233.05 x 170.18 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 96.11.1a-ee.

The canopy bed was one of the most important pieces of furniture in a Chinese household. It was generally ornamented with symbols associated with a long and happy marriage. Here, the railings are decorated with heart-shaped ruyi (the mythical wish-fulfilling symbol) set against a pattern of the Buddhist swastika signifying “ten thousand,” which granted the owner the fulfillment of ten thousand wishes. Curtains were hung inside the canopy which, when closed, created a private room within a room. With curtains drawn back, canopied beds were used as formal couches from which the woman of the house held audience and conducted business. With the addition of low tables, canopy beds could be used for playing board games, informal dining, or drinking tea with guests.

Armchairs with Continuous Yoke Back, c. 1600. Huanghuali hardwood, 113.03 x 59.06 x 44.45 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 91.69.1-2.

The elegant proportions and fluid lines of this chair results from the slender members used and the crest rail and armrests, which turn continuously into their respective front and rear posts. The rounded right angle joints, commonly translated as "pipe joints," are however inherently weak and the chair shows evidence of once having had its corner joints strengthened with metal reinforcements.

Each of the two basic armchair forms, the "roundback" and "yokeback", were designed in two styles. The more common "extended" style had the crestrail and arm rests extend beyond their support posts terminating in a rounded finial. The second or "continuous" style, the type shown in this chair, used crest rail and arm rests that flowed uninterruptedly into their support posts.

Spindleback Rose Chairs, c. 1600-1675. Huanghuali hardwood, 93.03 x 55.56 x 46.36 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 98.76.1-2.

Two-Drawer Table, 17th century. Huanghuali hardwood, 86.68 x 111.28 x 62.71 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 99.55a-c.

While useful for the storage of small items, recessed-leg tables with drawers do not appear often in late Ming woodcuts or paintings and relatively few have survived. The late Ming edition of the Lu Ban Ching carpenter's manual does, however, illustrate a woman using a two-drawer table like this one in combination with a mirror stand as a dressing table. The sumptuous carving of flowering plum branches on the drawer fronts is decoration appropriate to women's furniture.

Roundback Armchair, 17th century. Huanghuali hardwood, 99.06 x 66.04 x 45.72 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton, 92.69.

Round-back armchairs, used in more formal seating arrangements, were reserved for use by the highest-ranking members of a household. This one has extensively carved aprons (the wood just under the seat) and back splat (the vertical back support). The flower vase decorating the back splat is unusual, but at least three other chairs exist that have nearly identical carvings, suggesting that these chairs are part of a larger set.