A PAIR OF HUANGHUALI LOW-BACKED ARMCHAIRS, MEIGUIYI Qing Dynasty/Republic Period (2)A PAIR OF HUANGHUALI LOW-BACKED ARMCHAIRS, MEIGUIYIQing Dynasty/Republic PeriodEach chair with low back frames formed by vertical spindles and sectioned by interlaced ring struts, the straight arms continuing down forming the front posts and similarly rendered with vertical spindles, the mat seat set within a rectangular frame, all supported on a latticework apron with vertical struts, the side aprons of similar design, the legs joined by stretchers. 86.5cm (34in) high x 54cm (21 2/8in) wide x 40cm (15 6/8in) deep. (2).清/民國 黃花梨玫瑰椅一對Notable for their elegant form and proportions, the present chairs convey an extraordinary sense of lightness, conveyed by the use of pillar-shaped struts above the seat frame, which encouraged portable and functional ease.Armchairs displaying a low back were usually referred to as either 'rose chairs', meiguiyi, or 'writing chairs', wenyi. These seats were the smallest of the standard chair designs in Chinese furniture, making them appropriate for both indoor and outdoor use. In addition, the straight back and arms conveyed a sense of austerity to the scholar sitting in them and would fit neatly under the window of a scholar's studio, without obstructing the outside view.Low-back armchairs often displayed decorative frames and stretchers on the back panels, such as the present example. In addition, the top rail and arms curve smoothly into the posts, imitating the flexibility of bamboo by means of complex mortise-and-tenon joints. This design was probably inspired by a low-back armchair produced during the Song dynasty, an example of which is depicted in a twelfth century painting by Ma Gongxian (act.1131-1162). Here, Li Ao (d.ca. 844), a Confucian scholar, is seeking instruction from Yaoshan Weiyan (751-834), a Chan master, who is seated on a low bamboo chair which resembles the construction of a meiguiyi, with the addition of a back rest.See a related huanghuali chair, Ming dynasty, illustrated by S.Handler, Ming Furniture in the Light of Chinese Architecture, Beijing, 2005, p.129; see also a pair of huanghuali chairs in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, illustrated in R.D.Jacobsen and N.Grindley, Classical Chinese Furniture, Minneapolis, 1999, pl.16.Compare with a related pair of huanghuali armchairs, meiguiyi, Qing dynasty 17th/18th century, which was sold in Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2012, lot 131.is_parse: 20230413image: yuzhan_bonhams_item.jpgsold_price_type: £