Shanxi, circa 1920

With their distinctive, prominently curved 'Yoke-Back' head rests, these chairs are typical of Shanxi. They have been refreshed with a distressed, blue lacquer finish, which adds a more modern look to a centuries old design. The subtly curved backrests are carved through towards the top with a 'Ruyi' motif for good luck. Note that the footrest and stretchers gradually step up from front to back. The term for this in Chinese is 'bubugao', meaning 'step higher' - a phrase that originally referred to the promotion of an official. As a result this feature of Chinese chairs was thought to denote the high status of the person seated.

Sold as a pair, the price shown is for the two chairs.