High Backed Executive Armchair

This elegant, beautifully proportioned chair would certainly make a wonderful focal point in the corner of an entrance hall or living room.
It was produced in Shanxi province nearly two hundred years ago and almost certainly one of a pair. It is made from elm in the ‘Southern Official’ style, with a toprail and arms set flush with their supporting posts rather than extending over them, with a woven rattan seat over a wooden panel and finished in a rich, warm honey colour that perfectly highlights the attractive, wide grain of the wood. The ‘S’ curved backrest features a relief carving of a deer – a symbol in China for longevity. There is a further relief carving at the base in the form of a ‘ruyi’ – a ceremonial sceptre used to symbolise power and good fortune.
Quite unusally the backrest and side posts are elongated, so the overall height of the chair is fairly high – adding to the sense of importance and grandeur to the sitter perhaps? The legs are supported to the sides and back with double stretchers and there is a simply carved apron at each side, as well as one below the footrest.
With limited signs of wear and a few characteristic marks that add a real sense of history, this impressive chair would make a grand statement in a modern setting.