Furniture and Furnishings
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
not including Lalanne.
See also : Chinese furniture Early Qing Modern furniture Art Deco Chairs and seats Colonial furniture Modern tables
Chronology : 1570-1599 1680-1699 1730-1739 1770-1779 1920
not including Lalanne.
See also : Chinese furniture Early Qing Modern furniture Art Deco Chairs and seats Colonial furniture Modern tables
Chronology : 1570-1599 1680-1699 1730-1739 1770-1779 1920
Later Ming Huanghuali
Intro
Huanghuali and zitan are both belonging to the category of the rosewoods. Extremely heavy and very dense, the zitan allows a deep and very fine carving. It was preferred by the emperors of China for ceremonial pieces.
Highly appreciated by the Ming, the huanghuali is a tropical hardwood that enables to create furniture with bold shapes. Its color varies from reddish brown to golden yellow while its grains may display seductive pseudo-figurative patterns. Huanghuali literally means yellow pear tree flower.
It is believed that less that 10,000 pieces of furniture in huanghuali are still in existence. Its main source was in Hainan Island. The best pieces were made in the late Ming period and in the Ming-Qing transition. Most of them cannot be dated more precisely.
Highly appreciated by the Ming, the huanghuali is a tropical hardwood that enables to create furniture with bold shapes. Its color varies from reddish brown to golden yellow while its grains may display seductive pseudo-figurative patterns. Huanghuali literally means yellow pear tree flower.
It is believed that less that 10,000 pieces of furniture in huanghuali are still in existence. Its main source was in Hainan Island. The best pieces were made in the late Ming period and in the Ming-Qing transition. Most of them cannot be dated more precisely.
1
Altar Table
2021 SOLD for RMB 115M by Poly
A monumental and massive huanghuali table, 93 cm high, 450 cm wide and 56 cm deep, was sold by Christie's on March 22, 2013 for $ 9.1M, lot 1323 and for RMB 115M by Poly on December 5, 2021, lot 5506. It is illustrated in the post sale review by The Value, including an exploded view.
This table has a great matching of its top plank with the lower sections and it is believed that all its elements are original to each other. Its use as an altar table is probable but it could also have been used to display precious objects against a wall in a large hall.
It is certainly earlier than the Ming-Qing transition period when huanghuali went to be highly expensive from its increasing shortage so that its use in thick pieces had to be avoided.
Surviving examples of plank-top pedestal tables are very rare. Indeed they are easily demountable and often its elements did not survive together. Such furniture was conceived to be versatile, easy to move and to reassemble in a variety of configurations.
This table has a great matching of its top plank with the lower sections and it is believed that all its elements are original to each other. Its use as an altar table is probable but it could also have been used to display precious objects against a wall in a large hall.
It is certainly earlier than the Ming-Qing transition period when huanghuali went to be highly expensive from its increasing shortage so that its use in thick pieces had to be avoided.
Surviving examples of plank-top pedestal tables are very rare. Indeed they are easily demountable and often its elements did not survive together. Such furniture was conceived to be versatile, easy to move and to reassemble in a variety of configurations.
2
Horseshoe Back Folding Armchair
2022 SOLD for HK$ 125M by Sotheby's
The use of folding seats, easily transformable into sedan chairs. is very convenient for garden or travel. The folding chair is named jiaoyi meaning chair with crossed legs.
The Han already used folding stools. Much later, the quality and beauty of the wood distinguish the elites of higher rank, the huanghuali being the high-end. Such brass mounted furniture is fragile and seats in soft wood did not survive.
In the Ming dynasty, jiaoyi were made in two main forms of the back, the horseshoe and the much rarer square with or without arms.
The very elegant quanyi form of armchair is characterized by its horseshoe-shaped rail that serves altogether as backrest and armrest. The quanyi is better suited than other forms of Chinese armchairs for the creation of folding models, its front rail fitting into the curved support of the arms.
The use of a jiaoyi as an occasional imperial throne is likely under the Ming but was not illustrated until the Qing. A painting by Castiglione features the Qianlong emperor sitting on a folding armchair during a negotiation with Kazakh emissaries.
A jiaoyi of comfortable proportions and simple forms was sold for HK $ 125M from a lower estimate by Sotheby's on October 8, 2022, lot 11. Its size is 71 x 67 x 103 cm.
Its damascened iron strengthening places it in the earliest examples of late Ming horseshoe back folding armchairs. Its elegant plain backrest flanked with carved geometrical borders is unique in that group while the five other surviving examples have dragon or floral carvings.
A set of eight Ming seats in huanghuali would be the holy grail for a collector. I do not know if such a wonder remains in private hands and the submultiples, four and two, are much in demand. The consistency of colors and grains ensures the homogeneity of a group. The virtuosity of the craftsman is also considered.
On March 17, 2015, Christie's dispersed the Ellsworth collection. The bidders recognized the best qualities of a quanyi in the group of four that constituted the lot 41. Moreover the other two pairs that would make it possible to constitute a set of eight were identified in the catalog. That set was sold for $ 9.7M.
The Han already used folding stools. Much later, the quality and beauty of the wood distinguish the elites of higher rank, the huanghuali being the high-end. Such brass mounted furniture is fragile and seats in soft wood did not survive.
In the Ming dynasty, jiaoyi were made in two main forms of the back, the horseshoe and the much rarer square with or without arms.
The very elegant quanyi form of armchair is characterized by its horseshoe-shaped rail that serves altogether as backrest and armrest. The quanyi is better suited than other forms of Chinese armchairs for the creation of folding models, its front rail fitting into the curved support of the arms.
The use of a jiaoyi as an occasional imperial throne is likely under the Ming but was not illustrated until the Qing. A painting by Castiglione features the Qianlong emperor sitting on a folding armchair during a negotiation with Kazakh emissaries.
A jiaoyi of comfortable proportions and simple forms was sold for HK $ 125M from a lower estimate by Sotheby's on October 8, 2022, lot 11. Its size is 71 x 67 x 103 cm.
Its damascened iron strengthening places it in the earliest examples of late Ming horseshoe back folding armchairs. Its elegant plain backrest flanked with carved geometrical borders is unique in that group while the five other surviving examples have dragon or floral carvings.
A set of eight Ming seats in huanghuali would be the holy grail for a collector. I do not know if such a wonder remains in private hands and the submultiples, four and two, are much in demand. The consistency of colors and grains ensures the homogeneity of a group. The virtuosity of the craftsman is also considered.
On March 17, 2015, Christie's dispersed the Ellsworth collection. The bidders recognized the best qualities of a quanyi in the group of four that constituted the lot 41. Moreover the other two pairs that would make it possible to constitute a set of eight were identified in the catalog. That set was sold for $ 9.7M.
#AuctionUpdate This weekend, a rare Huanghuali Folding Horseshoe-Back Armchair- offered from the collection of the late Sir Joseph Hotung- soared to $15.9 million. The price is not only a record for a Chinese chair, but is also the third highest sum paid for any chair at auction. pic.twitter.com/J8SNw0F5Gd
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) October 10, 2022
early Kangxi pair of Cabinets
2017 SOLD for RMB 99M by Poly
Pair of Huanghuali-wood ‘Phoenix’ Cabinets from Kangxi Period, sold for RMB 99M by Beijing Poly on December 2017, lot 5178, post sale report by The Value Dec 21, 2017. Provide a detailed description. Define the evolution from Wanli style huanghuali cabinets.
Detailed Description of the Pair of Huanghuali-Wood ‘Phoenix’ Cabinets
The Pair of Huanghuali-wood ‘Phoenix’ Cabinets from the Kangxi Period (1662–1722) of the Qing Dynasty represent a magnificent and rare example of Chinese classical furniture, renowned for their grandeur, craftsmanship, and symbolic motifs.
Crafted from huanghuali (Dalbergia odorifera), a highly prized hardwood known for its rich golden-brown hue, fine grain, and subtle fragrance, these cabinets feature intricate carvings of phoenixes, which symbolize virtue, grace, and prosperity in Chinese culture. The phoenix motifs are likely integrated into the panels or structural elements, adding to the cabinets' auspicious and imperial connotations, as the phoenix was often associated with the empress and harmony.
Each cabinet measures an imposing 314 cm in height, 156.6 cm in width, and 77.5 cm in depth, making them substantial pieces designed for prominent display in grand halls or scholarly quarters.
As a pair, they embody the Qing preference for symmetry in interior design, often placed side by side to create visual balance. The construction employs traditional joinery techniques, such as mortise-and-tenon, ensuring durability without the need for nails, while the wood's natural patterns are highlighted to enhance aesthetic appeal. These cabinets would have served practical purposes, such as storing garments, scrolls, or precious items, while also functioning as status symbols for elite households.
Historically, huanghuali furniture from the Kangxi Period reflects the era's blend of Ming influences with emerging Qing robustness, produced during a time of imperial stability and cultural flourishing under Emperor Kangxi. The provenance traces back to Long Shun Cheng Furniture in Beijing (1956–1983), then to the collection of renowned Chinese film director Li Han-hsiang (1983–1996), who was a noted collector of classical Chinese art. They were previously sold at China Guardian's auction of the Li Han-hsiang Collection on October 9, 1995 (lot 848).
At the Beijing Poly Auction's "Yu Gong II - The Grand Panorama" evening sale on December 18, 2017 (lot 5178), the cabinets were the top lot, starting at RMB 42 million and fetching a hammer price of RMB 86 million after intense bidding. Including the buyer's premium, they realized RMB 98.9 million (approximately US$15.5 million at the time), setting a then-record for Chinese classical furniture. The post-sale report by The Value on December 21, 2017, highlighted them as the most expensive Chinese classical furniture sold in that auction, underscoring their market significance amid growing demand for huanghuali pieces.
Evolution from Wanli-Style Huanghuali Cabinets
Huanghuali cabinets evolved significantly from the Wanli Period (1573–1620) of the late Ming Dynasty to the Kangxi Period of the Qing Dynasty, reflecting broader shifts in Chinese furniture design influenced by social, economic, and cultural changes.
During the Wanli Period, huanghuali cabinets exemplified the Ming Dynasty's minimalist aesthetic, emphasizing elegance, simplicity, and functionality suited to the literati (scholarly elite). A hallmark was the wanligui (Wanli cabinet), a rare square-corner display cabinet with multiple open shelves, first appearing in the mid- to late Ming. These were typically placed in scholars' studios for storing books, scrolls, antiques, writing tools, and fragile items, promoting visual symmetry when paired. Materials shifted from lacquer to hardwoods like huanghuali, prized for its vivid grain and durability, allowing for advanced joinery like mitre, mortise, and tenon without metal fasteners. Designs favored clean lines, gentle curves, and subtle proportions, aligning with Confucian ideals of harmony and restraint. Other forms included yaoxiang (apothecary cabinets) with drawers for medicines or accessories, and sijiangui (compound cabinets) for clothing storage, often massive to convey status. This era's prosperity from trade enabled such refined craftsmanship, as seen in texts like Gao Lian's Zunsheng Bajian (late 16th century), which linked furniture to spiritual well-being.
The transition to the Qing Dynasty, particularly the Kangxi Period, built on Ming foundations but introduced greater robustness and architectural influences, marking the first stage of Qing furniture development (1644–Kangxi reign). Huanghuali remained popular, but designs became more substantial and practical, retaining Ming simplicity while incorporating bolder forms and symbolic carvings (e.g., phoenixes for imperial auspiciousness). Cabinets like the 'Phoenix' pair evolved from Ming sijiangui into larger, more imposing structures with enhanced symmetry and durability, suitable for imperial or elite contexts. The early Qing period (up to Kangxi) preserved Ming characteristics, such as clean lines, due to lingering influences, but shifted toward sturdier builds under artisans like Dashan. By the mid-Qing (Yongzheng–Qianlong reigns), styles grew more ornate with inlays and elaborate decorations, diverging from Ming minimalism toward opulence, though huanghuali's scarcity led to increased use of zitan and other woods. This evolution mirrored Qing imperial expansion, with furniture symbolizing power and cultural synthesis, while Ming pieces focused on scholarly refinement.
May the execution period be tentatively restricted to a decade (to be defined) or to 'early Kangxi' ?
Based on extensive research into auction records, scholarly references on Chinese classical furniture (such as Sarah Handler's Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture), and stylistic analyses of comparable huanghuali pieces, the execution period of this specific pair of 'Phoenix' cabinets can indeed be tentatively restricted to 'early Kangxi' (approximately the late 17th century, ca. 1662–1700).
Reasoning for 'Early Kangxi' Attribution
Detailed Description of the Pair of Huanghuali-Wood ‘Phoenix’ Cabinets
The Pair of Huanghuali-wood ‘Phoenix’ Cabinets from the Kangxi Period (1662–1722) of the Qing Dynasty represent a magnificent and rare example of Chinese classical furniture, renowned for their grandeur, craftsmanship, and symbolic motifs.
Crafted from huanghuali (Dalbergia odorifera), a highly prized hardwood known for its rich golden-brown hue, fine grain, and subtle fragrance, these cabinets feature intricate carvings of phoenixes, which symbolize virtue, grace, and prosperity in Chinese culture. The phoenix motifs are likely integrated into the panels or structural elements, adding to the cabinets' auspicious and imperial connotations, as the phoenix was often associated with the empress and harmony.
Each cabinet measures an imposing 314 cm in height, 156.6 cm in width, and 77.5 cm in depth, making them substantial pieces designed for prominent display in grand halls or scholarly quarters.
As a pair, they embody the Qing preference for symmetry in interior design, often placed side by side to create visual balance. The construction employs traditional joinery techniques, such as mortise-and-tenon, ensuring durability without the need for nails, while the wood's natural patterns are highlighted to enhance aesthetic appeal. These cabinets would have served practical purposes, such as storing garments, scrolls, or precious items, while also functioning as status symbols for elite households.
Historically, huanghuali furniture from the Kangxi Period reflects the era's blend of Ming influences with emerging Qing robustness, produced during a time of imperial stability and cultural flourishing under Emperor Kangxi. The provenance traces back to Long Shun Cheng Furniture in Beijing (1956–1983), then to the collection of renowned Chinese film director Li Han-hsiang (1983–1996), who was a noted collector of classical Chinese art. They were previously sold at China Guardian's auction of the Li Han-hsiang Collection on October 9, 1995 (lot 848).
At the Beijing Poly Auction's "Yu Gong II - The Grand Panorama" evening sale on December 18, 2017 (lot 5178), the cabinets were the top lot, starting at RMB 42 million and fetching a hammer price of RMB 86 million after intense bidding. Including the buyer's premium, they realized RMB 98.9 million (approximately US$15.5 million at the time), setting a then-record for Chinese classical furniture. The post-sale report by The Value on December 21, 2017, highlighted them as the most expensive Chinese classical furniture sold in that auction, underscoring their market significance amid growing demand for huanghuali pieces.
Evolution from Wanli-Style Huanghuali Cabinets
Huanghuali cabinets evolved significantly from the Wanli Period (1573–1620) of the late Ming Dynasty to the Kangxi Period of the Qing Dynasty, reflecting broader shifts in Chinese furniture design influenced by social, economic, and cultural changes.
During the Wanli Period, huanghuali cabinets exemplified the Ming Dynasty's minimalist aesthetic, emphasizing elegance, simplicity, and functionality suited to the literati (scholarly elite). A hallmark was the wanligui (Wanli cabinet), a rare square-corner display cabinet with multiple open shelves, first appearing in the mid- to late Ming. These were typically placed in scholars' studios for storing books, scrolls, antiques, writing tools, and fragile items, promoting visual symmetry when paired. Materials shifted from lacquer to hardwoods like huanghuali, prized for its vivid grain and durability, allowing for advanced joinery like mitre, mortise, and tenon without metal fasteners. Designs favored clean lines, gentle curves, and subtle proportions, aligning with Confucian ideals of harmony and restraint. Other forms included yaoxiang (apothecary cabinets) with drawers for medicines or accessories, and sijiangui (compound cabinets) for clothing storage, often massive to convey status. This era's prosperity from trade enabled such refined craftsmanship, as seen in texts like Gao Lian's Zunsheng Bajian (late 16th century), which linked furniture to spiritual well-being.
The transition to the Qing Dynasty, particularly the Kangxi Period, built on Ming foundations but introduced greater robustness and architectural influences, marking the first stage of Qing furniture development (1644–Kangxi reign). Huanghuali remained popular, but designs became more substantial and practical, retaining Ming simplicity while incorporating bolder forms and symbolic carvings (e.g., phoenixes for imperial auspiciousness). Cabinets like the 'Phoenix' pair evolved from Ming sijiangui into larger, more imposing structures with enhanced symmetry and durability, suitable for imperial or elite contexts. The early Qing period (up to Kangxi) preserved Ming characteristics, such as clean lines, due to lingering influences, but shifted toward sturdier builds under artisans like Dashan. By the mid-Qing (Yongzheng–Qianlong reigns), styles grew more ornate with inlays and elaborate decorations, diverging from Ming minimalism toward opulence, though huanghuali's scarcity led to increased use of zitan and other woods. This evolution mirrored Qing imperial expansion, with furniture symbolizing power and cultural synthesis, while Ming pieces focused on scholarly refinement.
May the execution period be tentatively restricted to a decade (to be defined) or to 'early Kangxi' ?
Based on extensive research into auction records, scholarly references on Chinese classical furniture (such as Sarah Handler's Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture), and stylistic analyses of comparable huanghuali pieces, the execution period of this specific pair of 'Phoenix' cabinets can indeed be tentatively restricted to 'early Kangxi' (approximately the late 17th century, ca. 1662–1700).
Reasoning for 'Early Kangxi' Attribution
- Auction and Provenance Descriptions: The Beijing Poly 2017 catalog and related reports (including the 1995 China Guardian sale of the Li Han-hsiang Collection) attribute the cabinets broadly to the "Kangxi Period" (1662–1722) without a narrower sub-period. However, the style—featuring robust yet transitional Ming influences, intricate phoenix carvings (symbolizing imperial auspiciousness and harmony), and the use of huanghuali hardwood—aligns with early Qing developments under Kangxi, when Ming aesthetics were still prominent before shifting to more ornate mid-Qing (Yongzheng–Qianlong) designs.
- Stylistic Evolution and Material Use: Huanghuali furniture reached its peak in the late Ming (ca. 1550–1644) and early Qing (ca. 1644–1735), with pieces like display cabinets (e.g., lianggegui or wanligui) often dated to the late 17th/early 18th century. The phoenix motif, common in Qing carvings for marital bliss and prosperity, appears on related furniture (e.g., couchbeds, side tables) from this transitional era, evolving from Ming's austere simplicity (clean lines, minimal decoration) to Qing's bolder relief work. By the mid-Kangxi period and later, huanghuali became scarcer, giving way to zitan and more elaborate inlays, suggesting these cabinets predate that shift.
- Comparable Examples: Similar huanghuali cabinets and related pieces are consistently dated to the 17th century (late Ming/early Qing), which overlaps with early Kangxi:
- Square-corner display cabinets (wanligui): Qing, late 17th/early 18th century, with carved motifs like dragons, clouds, and lotus.
- Tapered cabinets (yuanjiaogui): Late 16th/early 17th century.
- Table cabinets with carvings: Late Ming–early Qing (17th century).
- Phoenix-motif pieces (e.g., side tables with back-to-back phoenixes amid clouds): Ming/Qing, 17th century.
- While 'early Kangxi' is supported, restricting to a single decade (e.g., 1670–1680 or 1690–1700) is not feasible without further expert analysis (e.g., dendrochronology or unpublished provenance details). Chinese furniture dating relies on style, wood grain, joinery (e.g., mortise-and-tenon), and historical context rather than precise years, and no sources for this pair provide such granularity. Broader attributions like "17th century" or "late 17th/early 18th century" are standard for huanghuali works.
1732 The Badminton cabinet
2004 SOLD for £ 19M by Christie's
Although its architectural style is Florentine, the Beaufort-Badminton cabinet is one of a kind. It is by far the most monumental piece of furniture that has ever been produced at the Galleria dei Lavori, the workshops of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, exceeding by more than one meter in height a piece of furniture made for the Elector Palatine.
In 1726 the 3rd Duke of Beaufort, aged 19, makes his tour of Italy. He is extremely rich and desires to build an art collection. His stay in Florence was very short. It seems likely that a pre-existing project for a monumental piece of furniture was offered to him. He orders this piece, of which he has followed the make by his agents.
The piece of furniture is delivered to him in 1732. It will be known as the Badminton cabinet from the residence where the 3rd Duke installed it and where it stayed until 1990.
It was sold by Christie's for £ 8.6M on July 5, 1990 and for £ 19M on December 9, 2004, lot 260. It was acquired at this latter sale by Prince Hans Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein to become the central piece in the collection of pietra dura works in his private museum.
The Badminton cabinet is a piece of furniture with four superimposed ebony segments over eight pilasters, for a total height of 386 cm including the Beaufort coat of arms in finial. It is 232 cm wide and 94 cm deep.
The assembly of this piece is a tour de force of joinery. It is sumptuously decorated on front and lateral sides in pietra dura and semi-precious stones with floral themes including birds. The upper segment consists of a clock whose dial is later. The allegories of the four seasons in gilt bronze surround the clock.
In 1726 the 3rd Duke of Beaufort, aged 19, makes his tour of Italy. He is extremely rich and desires to build an art collection. His stay in Florence was very short. It seems likely that a pre-existing project for a monumental piece of furniture was offered to him. He orders this piece, of which he has followed the make by his agents.
The piece of furniture is delivered to him in 1732. It will be known as the Badminton cabinet from the residence where the 3rd Duke installed it and where it stayed until 1990.
It was sold by Christie's for £ 8.6M on July 5, 1990 and for £ 19M on December 9, 2004, lot 260. It was acquired at this latter sale by Prince Hans Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein to become the central piece in the collection of pietra dura works in his private museum.
The Badminton cabinet is a piece of furniture with four superimposed ebony segments over eight pilasters, for a total height of 386 cm including the Beaufort coat of arms in finial. It is 232 cm wide and 94 cm deep.
The assembly of this piece is a tour de force of joinery. It is sumptuously decorated on front and lateral sides in pietra dura and semi-precious stones with floral themes including birds. The upper segment consists of a clock whose dial is later. The allegories of the four seasons in gilt bronze surround the clock.
#ThrowbackThursday The Badminton Cabinet was sold in July 1990 in London. Commissioned in 1726 by Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of Beaufort, it took 6 years to make & was regarded as the greatest Florentine cabinet of its time. It is on display at the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna. pic.twitter.com/fTdEaJAm4e
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) April 16, 2020
Qianlong Zitan
Intro
The zitan also named red sandalwood is the wood of a tree 8 meter high from India. Its extreme hardness is conducive to a high relief sculpture and its very dark color is gorgeous. Chinese emperors used it unsparingly for the decorative panels of their palace.
By imperial decree, the zitan wood was available only to the master craftsmen employed by the Woodworks (Muzuo) in the Palace Workshop. It was only used for prestige furniture of the imperial court.
At the time of the Qianlong emperor who was fond of it, the risk of shortage occasioned a specific attention brought to the supply of new lumber and to the preservation of previously made furniture and decoration.
By imperial decree, the zitan wood was available only to the master craftsmen employed by the Woodworks (Muzuo) in the Palace Workshop. It was only used for prestige furniture of the imperial court.
At the time of the Qianlong emperor who was fond of it, the risk of shortage occasioned a specific attention brought to the supply of new lumber and to the preservation of previously made furniture and decoration.
1
Pair of Qianlong Cabinets
2013 SOLD for RMB 93M by Poly
On June 4, 2013, Poly sold for RMB 93M an exceptional pair of zitan cabinets of Qianlong period whose achievement was a real technical feat.
3.25 m high, these cabinets are among the tallest known zitan furniture, although another one 4.40 m high is preserved in Beijing. Its depth of 74 cm is also exceptional. The conception of these cabinets included slits in the boards of doors and sides to relieve the pressure.
There is no evidence that the origin of this pair of furniture is imperial, but they are finely carved in high relief with patterns of dragons and lotus.
3.25 m high, these cabinets are among the tallest known zitan furniture, although another one 4.40 m high is preserved in Beijing. Its depth of 74 cm is also exceptional. The conception of these cabinets included slits in the boards of doors and sides to relieve the pressure.
There is no evidence that the origin of this pair of furniture is imperial, but they are finely carved in high relief with patterns of dragons and lotus.
2
Throne
2009 SOLD for HK$ 86M by Sotheby's
As a seat, a throne is nothing but a marquise or a bench. But that name is reserved for the seats used by monarchs to meet their audience during the ceremonies. For such a prestigious use, this piece of furniture is necessarily luxurious.
On October 8, 2009, Sotheby's sold a throne from the Qianlong period for HK $ 86M from a lower estimate of HK $ 20M, lot 1645.
This 1.40 m wide seat is decorated with motifs of the usual symbol of the Chinese Empire, the Dragon.
This wooden piece, although rare and prestigious, will not compare with the throne that adorned the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Also decorated with dragons, it was made of white marble and jade.
On October 8, 2009, Sotheby's sold a throne from the Qianlong period for HK $ 86M from a lower estimate of HK $ 20M, lot 1645.
This 1.40 m wide seat is decorated with motifs of the usual symbol of the Chinese Empire, the Dragon.
This wooden piece, although rare and prestigious, will not compare with the throne that adorned the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Also decorated with dragons, it was made of white marble and jade.
1772-1785 Desk-and-Bookcase attributed to Daniel Spencer
1989 SOLD for $ 12M by Christie's
The Block and Shell style, denoting the ornaments of the drawers, appears around 1755 in Newport RI in the furniture made by the Townsend-Goddard dynasty of cabinetmakers.
The Chippendale style succeeds the Queen Anne. John Goddard is probably the first to make the desk-and-bookcase which is an adaptation of the Block and Shell to the Chippendale. These pieces of furniture are not signed and very difficult to attribute to one or another master in that family. Nine examples in the six-shell design have survived, all of them in mahogany.
The Brown brothers were wealthy merchants and statesmen of Providence RI, involved in slave trade and smuggling. A Newport-style desk-and-bookcase that belonged to John Brown, 272 × 113 × 64 cm, is kept at Yale University. The piece that belonged to Nicholas Brown, 287 × 108 × 64 cm, is very similar. It had remained in the direct descent of its first owner and was sold for $ 12M by Christie's on June 3, 1989.
For the attribution of these two pieces of furniture, it was noticed that Daniel Spencer, a nephew of John Goddard, had left Newport and established a workshop for the making of cabinets and chairs in Providence in 1772. The terminus ante quem is his imprisonment for debt in 1785. He ended his career in Kentucky.
The Chippendale style succeeds the Queen Anne. John Goddard is probably the first to make the desk-and-bookcase which is an adaptation of the Block and Shell to the Chippendale. These pieces of furniture are not signed and very difficult to attribute to one or another master in that family. Nine examples in the six-shell design have survived, all of them in mahogany.
The Brown brothers were wealthy merchants and statesmen of Providence RI, involved in slave trade and smuggling. A Newport-style desk-and-bookcase that belonged to John Brown, 272 × 113 × 64 cm, is kept at Yale University. The piece that belonged to Nicholas Brown, 287 × 108 × 64 cm, is very similar. It had remained in the direct descent of its first owner and was sold for $ 12M by Christie's on June 3, 1989.
For the attribution of these two pieces of furniture, it was noticed that Daniel Spencer, a nephew of John Goddard, had left Newport and established a workshop for the making of cabinets and chairs in Providence in 1772. The terminus ante quem is his imprisonment for debt in 1785. He ended his career in Kentucky.
1917-1920 Fauteuil aux Dragons by Gray
2009 SOLD for € 22M by Christie's
The estate sale of the collection of the fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent was jointly organized by Christie's and Pierre Bergé et Associés from 23 to 25 February, 2009. The furniture of the 20th century was led by an armchair made by Eileen Gray around 1920-1922, sold for € 22M from a lower estimate of € 2.5M.
This seat is only 61 cm high. The sitting height is normal, but the back is small. It is large (91 cm), making it a comfortable chair. It is named the Fauteuil aux Dragons for the sculptures of its armrests.
On June 1, 2005, Camard had separated a suite of six armchairs à la Sirène. They had belonged from 1923 to Damia, the music hall singer woman with whom Eileen had a love affair. From a very different model from the fauteuil aux dragons, their sculpture of the women fish was enhanced by an open back. The highest result was € 1.75M.
Fauteuil aux dragons by Eileen Gray, sold by Christie's in February 2009, Saint-Laurent - Bergé sale : significance in Gray's career, history of the armchair including best estimate of date and location of the execution.
The Fauteuil aux Dragons (Dragons Armchair) is an iconic piece by Irish designer and architect Eileen Gray (1878–1976), featuring a rounded form upholstered in brown leather with a wooden structure lacquered in brownish-orange, incorporating silver leaf inclusions and sculpted stylized dragons forming the armrests and base.
History and Provenance
Gray created the armchair between 1917 and 1919 in Paris, where she had settled in 1902 and mastered lacquer techniques under Japanese artisan Seizo Sugawara. Experts widely accept this dating, as confirmed by Christie's auction catalog and scholarly sources.
Her patron, fashion milliner Suzanne Talbot (Madame Mathieu-Lévy), acquired it directly from Gray. Talbot commissioned Gray's first full interior design project (an apartment at 9 rue de Lota, Paris, completed around 1920–1922), where the chair was likely intended, though it may have been purchased separately.
The piece remained in Talbot's circle until 1971, when Parisian dealer Cheska Vallois bought it for about $2,700. Vallois sold it in 1973 to fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé, who displayed it prominently in their apartment.
In February 2009, during the landmark Christie's auction of the Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé collection in Paris (often called the "sale of the century"), the chair sold for €21,905,000 (approximately $28–31 million USD at the time), far exceeding its €2–3 million estimate. Vallois repurchased it on behalf of an anonymous client.
Significance in Gray's Career
This armchair exemplifies Gray's early, highly personal and expressive phase (pre-1920s), blending Art Deco influences with Asian-inspired lacquer work, symbolism (dragons representing strength and protection in Chinese iconography), and imaginative sculpture.
Christie's described it as a "masterpiece of invention and execution" that "distills all that was so personal and so magical" in her initial career period.
It marks her breakthrough in lacquer furniture and her first major commission context with Talbot, establishing her as a leading decorative artist in 1920s Paris.
Later, Gray distanced herself from this ornate style, transitioning to modernist works (e.g., E-1027 house, Bibendum chair), and reportedly called such early pieces "monsters."
The 2009 record-breaking sale (highest ever for 20th-century decorative art or furniture at the time) revived global interest in Gray, who had been underrecognized during her lifetime due to gender biases and modernist historiography favoring figures like Le Corbusier.
It cemented her legacy as a pioneer bridging decorative arts and modernism.
Chat with Grok :
The date when Gray went back from London to Paris is a terminus post quem of the Fauteuil aux Dragons if it has been executed in Paris as reported above.
The Fauteuil aux Dragons was indeed executed in Paris between 1917 and 1919, as consistently documented in auction records (e.g., Christie's 2009 catalog), scholarly sources, and biographies.Relevant Return to ParisEileen Gray's relevant return to Paris—that serving as a terminus post quem (earliest possible date) for the armchair's creation—was after World War I, specifically in 1917 (or late 1916/early 1917 in some accounts).Timeline Context
This seat is only 61 cm high. The sitting height is normal, but the back is small. It is large (91 cm), making it a comfortable chair. It is named the Fauteuil aux Dragons for the sculptures of its armrests.
On June 1, 2005, Camard had separated a suite of six armchairs à la Sirène. They had belonged from 1923 to Damia, the music hall singer woman with whom Eileen had a love affair. From a very different model from the fauteuil aux dragons, their sculpture of the women fish was enhanced by an open back. The highest result was € 1.75M.
Fauteuil aux dragons by Eileen Gray, sold by Christie's in February 2009, Saint-Laurent - Bergé sale : significance in Gray's career, history of the armchair including best estimate of date and location of the execution.
The Fauteuil aux Dragons (Dragons Armchair) is an iconic piece by Irish designer and architect Eileen Gray (1878–1976), featuring a rounded form upholstered in brown leather with a wooden structure lacquered in brownish-orange, incorporating silver leaf inclusions and sculpted stylized dragons forming the armrests and base.
History and Provenance
Gray created the armchair between 1917 and 1919 in Paris, where she had settled in 1902 and mastered lacquer techniques under Japanese artisan Seizo Sugawara. Experts widely accept this dating, as confirmed by Christie's auction catalog and scholarly sources.
Her patron, fashion milliner Suzanne Talbot (Madame Mathieu-Lévy), acquired it directly from Gray. Talbot commissioned Gray's first full interior design project (an apartment at 9 rue de Lota, Paris, completed around 1920–1922), where the chair was likely intended, though it may have been purchased separately.
The piece remained in Talbot's circle until 1971, when Parisian dealer Cheska Vallois bought it for about $2,700. Vallois sold it in 1973 to fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé, who displayed it prominently in their apartment.
In February 2009, during the landmark Christie's auction of the Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé collection in Paris (often called the "sale of the century"), the chair sold for €21,905,000 (approximately $28–31 million USD at the time), far exceeding its €2–3 million estimate. Vallois repurchased it on behalf of an anonymous client.
Significance in Gray's Career
This armchair exemplifies Gray's early, highly personal and expressive phase (pre-1920s), blending Art Deco influences with Asian-inspired lacquer work, symbolism (dragons representing strength and protection in Chinese iconography), and imaginative sculpture.
Christie's described it as a "masterpiece of invention and execution" that "distills all that was so personal and so magical" in her initial career period.
It marks her breakthrough in lacquer furniture and her first major commission context with Talbot, establishing her as a leading decorative artist in 1920s Paris.
Later, Gray distanced herself from this ornate style, transitioning to modernist works (e.g., E-1027 house, Bibendum chair), and reportedly called such early pieces "monsters."
The 2009 record-breaking sale (highest ever for 20th-century decorative art or furniture at the time) revived global interest in Gray, who had been underrecognized during her lifetime due to gender biases and modernist historiography favoring figures like Le Corbusier.
It cemented her legacy as a pioneer bridging decorative arts and modernism.
Chat with Grok :
The date when Gray went back from London to Paris is a terminus post quem of the Fauteuil aux Dragons if it has been executed in Paris as reported above.
The Fauteuil aux Dragons was indeed executed in Paris between 1917 and 1919, as consistently documented in auction records (e.g., Christie's 2009 catalog), scholarly sources, and biographies.Relevant Return to ParisEileen Gray's relevant return to Paris—that serving as a terminus post quem (earliest possible date) for the armchair's creation—was after World War I, specifically in 1917 (or late 1916/early 1917 in some accounts).Timeline Context
- Gray first moved to Paris in 1902 for art studies.
- She briefly returned to London in 1905 due to her mother's illness but was back in Paris by around 1906–1907, mastering lacquer under Seizo Sugawara.
- With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, she returned to London (taking unfinished work and accompanied by Sugawara in many sources), where she carried out war-related work and waited out much of the conflict.
- She (and often Sugawara) returned to Paris post-war, around 1917, reopening her workshop and receiving the major commission from Suzanne Talbot (Madame Mathieu-Lévy) for the rue de Lota apartment interior (completed ~1919–1922).
- The Fauteuil aux Dragons was created in this immediate post-return period, likely for or in association with Talbot, requiring her presence in Paris for its labor-intensive lacquer execution.
1952 Chandelier by Alberto Giacometti
2018 SOLD for £ 7.6M by Sotheby's
In 1947 and 1948 Alberto Giacometti defined his existentialist pantheon with his primordial trinity and some accessories including the cage.
For their friends the Giacometti brothers also remain the pre-war decorators who created models of furnishing for Frank. Diego continues in this specialty and Alberto still accepts some private orders. A plaster chandelier with geometric figures made by Alberto in 1954 for the Tériade apartment was sold for £ 2.05M by Phillips on April 26, 2017.
Louis Broder was a Swiss publisher. For his Paris apartment he commissioned in 1948 to Alberto a chandelier adorned with his new characters. The original plaster, 60 cm high and 136 cm in diameter, was supplied in 1949 or 1950 to Broder and donated in 1983 by Berggruen to the Centre Pompidou.
This private work is an interesting synthesis of Giacometti's metaphysics. The central position is a gloriette in which the Femme debout opens her arms, holding two side columns as if she was ready to go out for discovering the world. She has the main role, superseding the ephemeral Homme au doigt.
The Homme qui marche starts away from the cage in a centrifugal force that ignores the existence of the woman. Smaller than her, he does not have the importance he would like to have. The trinity is completed on the other side by a bird. The four lights are installed in crocus flowers.
In 1952 Alberto made three bronzes of this chandelier, also for Broder. One of them was sold for £ 7.6M from a lower estimate of £ 6M for sale by Sotheby's on February 28, 2018, lot 4.
For their friends the Giacometti brothers also remain the pre-war decorators who created models of furnishing for Frank. Diego continues in this specialty and Alberto still accepts some private orders. A plaster chandelier with geometric figures made by Alberto in 1954 for the Tériade apartment was sold for £ 2.05M by Phillips on April 26, 2017.
Louis Broder was a Swiss publisher. For his Paris apartment he commissioned in 1948 to Alberto a chandelier adorned with his new characters. The original plaster, 60 cm high and 136 cm in diameter, was supplied in 1949 or 1950 to Broder and donated in 1983 by Berggruen to the Centre Pompidou.
This private work is an interesting synthesis of Giacometti's metaphysics. The central position is a gloriette in which the Femme debout opens her arms, holding two side columns as if she was ready to go out for discovering the world. She has the main role, superseding the ephemeral Homme au doigt.
The Homme qui marche starts away from the cage in a centrifugal force that ignores the existence of the woman. Smaller than her, he does not have the importance he would like to have. The trinity is completed on the other side by a bird. The four lights are installed in crocus flowers.
In 1952 Alberto made three bronzes of this chandelier, also for Broder. One of them was sold for £ 7.6M from a lower estimate of £ 6M for sale by Sotheby's on February 28, 2018, lot 4.
from 1964 LALANNE
see dedicated page
1976 Promenade des Amis by Diego Giacometti
2024 SOLD for € 9.5M by Christie's
Diego Giacometti was thirteen months younger than Alberto. Decorators and sculptors, they establish their studio together in Montparnasse. The pieces of furnishing that they realize in the 1930s in particular for Jean-Michel Frank appeal by their modernism.
The war separates them temporarily. At that moment their art takes very different directions. While Alberto expresses existentialism by relying on surrealism, Diego does not leave decoration and realism. He meets the desires of his customers with his nice and humorous themes where animal figures come to perch on the struts or to huddle in the table legs.
Promenade des amis is a playful scene designed in 1976 by Diego Giacometti. It stages trees, horses and dogs in various numbers for various furnishing configurations.
The 88 cm high console table in patinated bronze with a glass top 121 x 35 cm stages on the spacer a horse with raised head confronting three dogs following one another amidst three trees with a round foliage. The first dog barks aggressively to the horse. The second dog is ready to jump and the farther dog is waiting.
An example was sold for € 9.5M from a lower estimate of € 1.5M by Christie's on December 3, 2024, lot 68. Its terminus post quem is 1980 when it was acquired directly from the artist by its first owner.
In the same style and similar size based on a console sculpture created ca 1972 for James Lord, Biche, Arbre et Renard à l'affût, executed in 1976-1978 by Diego, was sold for € 2.93M by Ader on December 4, 2024, lot 33.
The glass top console Hommage à Böcklin is a tribute to the Toteninsel by the previous Swiss artist. Diego took for that reference the cypress trees limited to two groups of two in a degrading symmetry on both sides of a moon shaped golden disc in the interior crossbars. A contemplating owl is perched on one of the side bars.
This model was designed ca 1978. An example 90 x 110 x 34 cm in patinated and gilt bronze and patinated iron was sold for $ 6.8M by Sotheby's on December 8, 2021, lot 118. An example executed in 1980 in bronze and iron with green and grey patina and copper was sold for £ 5.1M by Christie's on October 13, 2023, lot 18.
The war separates them temporarily. At that moment their art takes very different directions. While Alberto expresses existentialism by relying on surrealism, Diego does not leave decoration and realism. He meets the desires of his customers with his nice and humorous themes where animal figures come to perch on the struts or to huddle in the table legs.
Promenade des amis is a playful scene designed in 1976 by Diego Giacometti. It stages trees, horses and dogs in various numbers for various furnishing configurations.
The 88 cm high console table in patinated bronze with a glass top 121 x 35 cm stages on the spacer a horse with raised head confronting three dogs following one another amidst three trees with a round foliage. The first dog barks aggressively to the horse. The second dog is ready to jump and the farther dog is waiting.
An example was sold for € 9.5M from a lower estimate of € 1.5M by Christie's on December 3, 2024, lot 68. Its terminus post quem is 1980 when it was acquired directly from the artist by its first owner.
In the same style and similar size based on a console sculpture created ca 1972 for James Lord, Biche, Arbre et Renard à l'affût, executed in 1976-1978 by Diego, was sold for € 2.93M by Ader on December 4, 2024, lot 33.
The glass top console Hommage à Böcklin is a tribute to the Toteninsel by the previous Swiss artist. Diego took for that reference the cypress trees limited to two groups of two in a degrading symmetry on both sides of a moon shaped golden disc in the interior crossbars. A contemplating owl is perched on one of the side bars.
This model was designed ca 1978. An example 90 x 110 x 34 cm in patinated and gilt bronze and patinated iron was sold for $ 6.8M by Sotheby's on December 8, 2021, lot 118. An example executed in 1980 in bronze and iron with green and grey patina and copper was sold for £ 5.1M by Christie's on October 13, 2023, lot 18.
