Lot 32. A rare and exceptional pair of huanghuali and huamu ‘fu’ character yokeback armchairs (sichutouguanmaoyi), Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century.  Estimation 300,000 — 500,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

each with a wide scrolling crestrail with flattened head rest and rounded terminals, set on cylindrical strongly bowed back posts continuing through the seat frame to form the back legs, the wide backsplat in tripartite form flanked by beaded barbed and cusped long flange brackets, the splat with an upper squared panel pierced with a stylized fu character in grooved fretwork set within a molded frame, a central rectangular panel of nanmu burlwood, above an arched apron with beading, the armrails terminating in rounded outscrolled handgrips set on strongly 'goose-neck' shaped braces and supporting struts of mock-bamboo issuing from a pear-shaped vase, the hard mat seat within a rectangular frame with rounded sides tapering to a beaded edge, the slightly splayed legs joined by cusped aprons with beaded edge continuing to long barbed and beaded flange brackets, the side stretchers set higher than the foot and back rails, the side and front stretchers with shaped aprons (2) - Height 46 1/4  in., 117.5 cm; Width 25 1/4  in.,  64.1 cm; Depth 19 in., 48.3 cm

Provenance: Acquired from a Connecticut antiques dealer in the 1970s.

Sotheby's. The Reverend Richard Fabian Collection of Chinese Classical Furniture, New York, 15 mars 2016, 10:00 AM