Cleveland Museum of Art

Roundback Armchair: Lohan Type

Date

1600s–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. This horseshoe-back armchair was made in Jiangsu province. Its simplicity and minimalist elegance is characteristic of Suzhou-style furniture and aesthetics. The back of the chair is 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 horseshoe-shaped back of this chair is joined without glue or nails.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.