A PAIR OF LOW BACK HARDWOOD ARMCHAIRS, MEIGUIYI, QING DYNASTY
A PAIR OF LOW BACK HARDWOOD ARMCHAIRS, MEIGUIYI, QING DYNASTY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
China, 1644-1912. Each with a rectangular open backrest formed by a straight top rail rounding the corners to the back posts, the straight arms continuing down to form the front posts, also with a cutout, resting above an apron with a gently scrolled central motif and spandrels to the sides, the legs joined by stretchers and a footrest.
Provenance: Freddy Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark, by 1991. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 35 years.
Freddy Hansen was a Danish dealer of Asian art and antiquities, particularly Buddhist sculpture. Based in Copenhagen, he was active from the 1950s onward and became one of Denmark's most prominent dealers in Asian art before his retirement in the early 1990s.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Good condition with wear, nicks, scratches, few age cracks, and remnants of pigments.
Weight: 8.8 kg and 9.4 kg
Dimensions: Size 44.1 x 56.8 x 92.5 cm
Meiguiyi, or 'rose chairs,' are the smallest of the standard chair types in Chinese furniture, making them versatile for both indoor and outdoor use. The prototype of the rose chair can already be seen in Song dynasty paintings, where they are depicted in use by literati within both halls and garden settings.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 575
Price: HKD 112,500 or approx.
EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of Jichimu armchairs, Meiguiyi, late Ming-early Qing dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related form with a similar apron and size (45 x 56 x 91.5 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
A PAIR OF LOW BACK HARDWOOD ARMCHAIRS, MEIGUIYI, QING DYNASTY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
China, 1644-1912. Each with a rectangular open backrest formed by a straight top rail rounding the corners to the back posts, the straight arms continuing down to form the front posts, also with a cutout, resting above an apron with a gently scrolled central motif and spandrels to the sides, the legs joined by stretchers and a footrest.
Provenance: Freddy Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark, by 1991. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 35 years.
Freddy Hansen was a Danish dealer of Asian art and antiquities, particularly Buddhist sculpture. Based in Copenhagen, he was active from the 1950s onward and became one of Denmark's most prominent dealers in Asian art before his retirement in the early 1990s.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Good condition with wear, nicks, scratches, few age cracks, and remnants of pigments.
Weight: 8.8 kg and 9.4 kg
Dimensions: Size 44.1 x 56.8 x 92.5 cm
Meiguiyi, or 'rose chairs,' are the smallest of the standard chair types in Chinese furniture, making them versatile for both indoor and outdoor use. The prototype of the rose chair can already be seen in Song dynasty paintings, where they are depicted in use by literati within both halls and garden settings.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 575
Price: HKD 112,500 or approx.
EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of Jichimu armchairs, Meiguiyi, late Ming-early Qing dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related form with a similar apron and size (45 x 56 x 91.5 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
