Cleveland Museum of Art

Pair of Roundback Armchairs: Lohan Type

Date

1600–1700s

Medium

Rosewood (huanghuali)

Culture

China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644) to Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Department

Chinese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

In history, China moved from an original floor culture to high chairs and tables, developing a unique tradition of craftsmanship. Although still relatively unexplored, the manufacturing and styles of furniture differ by region. These horseshoe-back armchairs were made in Jiangsu province. Their simplicity and minimalist elegance are characteristic of Suzhou-style furniture and aesthetics. The backs of the chairs are made of seven pieces of wood, joined and secured with an inserted wooden pin, a mortise-tenon technique that appeared in its earliest form in Neolitihic fragments of the Hemudu culture. The existence of such chairs in pairs suggests that they were used in more formal settings reserved for important guests and family members of age and high status.

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