€40,000 - €80,000
A rare and exceptional Chinese huanghuali sedan chair, Jianyu, signed Zhang Dai, 17th C.
Dim.: 77,5 x 75,5 x 95,5 cm
Provenance:
- A Belgian private collection.
- The collection of Mrs. M. Sergant, The Netherlands.
- Previously in the collection of Mr. Arie Mullieu, Amsterdam.
The sweeping crest rail gracefully ends in outswept hooks above horseshoe-shaped arms, forming an elegant curve over the splat, which is intricately carved in high relief with mountainous landscapes. The reverse of the splat is inscribed with a poem by Zhang Dai (1597–1624), accompanied by an artist's seal.
Above the seat framework, four tuosai panels are adorned with plum blossom and bamboo motifs. The rectangular rattan seat is supported by four elaborately carved legs with makara-shaped feet, raised on an open-framed footrest. Surrounding the seat are four intricately carved panels, featuring the Three Friends of Winter, while the front panel depicts Zhang Dai in seclusion, accompanied by two attendants. Each corner of the front panel is fitted with metal loop mounts for carriage bars.
Inscription on the back (銘文)：天明晨寒偕二童子隨行，其一抱琴，其一執壺至江邊。山水青綠江風景盛，舟少人稀飲氣之清畫江之謐，似與天地合而為一，此自達之意深為吾想。張岱。
A jianyu 肩輿 (sedan chair) was commonly used by the emperors, princes and nobles as transport for short journeys between buildings in the great palaces. According to the Mirror of Craftsmanship and Guidelines by Lu Ban, Chinese sedan chairs come in different types, this particular one is called a Yajiao shi.
Zhang Dai (1597-1624) was a famous late Ming dynasty historian and writer, born to a noble family and well educated with poetic aesthetic tastes. However, he never passed the Imperial examinations to serve the Ming court and his hometown was destroyed with the fall of the Ming dynasty. Reluctant to serve the invader, he decided to live in seclusion with his two attendants, one depicting holding a qin, the other an ewer, which is explained further in the poem.
Ref.: The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong, p.3 6, no. 22 for a closely related sedan chair. (see added scans).
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