A 'huanghuali' rectangular waisted stool (Changfangdeng), 17th century

Peter Lai Antiques, Hong Kong, 1992.

Although utilitarian in function, stools were essential furnishings in the homes and studios of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties; their portable form allowed them to be easily moved for social gatherings or contemplative thought. Huanghuali examples such as the present work elevated simple forms into works of exceptional craftsmanship and quiet luxury.

The present stool is distinguished from more commonly-found waisted horse-hoof examples by the graceful inward curve of the leg. It very closely compares to a pair formerly in the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, illustrated by Curtis Evarts and Wang Shixiang in Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, pp 34-35, pl. 16, and later sold at Christie’s New York, 19th September 1996, lot 9, and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th November 2023, lot 2913. The Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture pair has a molded beaded edge running along the interior of the legs, lacking on the present example, but is otherwise nearly identical in form and dimension.