1600s–1700s
Part of a set. See all set records
Rosewood (huanghuali)
Overall: 85.4 x 58.4 cm (33 5/8 x 23 in.)
The Norweb Collection 1955.40.1
The horseshoe-shaped backs of these chairs are made of seven pieces of wood joined without glue or nails and secured with an inserted wooden pin that holds them in place.
Following the tradition of sitting cross-legged on an elevated platform, this armchair allows the sitter to rest their feet on the stretcher between the front legs, or to pull their legs up resting their shoes on the stretcher. The existence of such chairs in pairs suggests that they were used in more formal settings reserved for important guests and family members of age and high status. Similar chairs with low, straight backs were presumably used by women or in a less formal context.
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