Minneapolis Institute of Art

Armchair with Continuous Yoke Back, one of a pair

China

Date

c. 1600

Medium

Huanghuali hardwood

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The elegant proportions and fluid lines of this chair results from the slender members used and the crest rail and armrests, which turn continuously into their respective front and rear posts. The rounded right angle joints, commonly translated as pipe joints, are however inherently weak and the chair shows evidence of once having had its corner joints strengthened with metal reinforcements. Each of the two basic armchair forms, the roundback and yokeback, were designed in two styles. The more common extended style had the crestrail and arm rests extend beyond their support posts terminating in a rounded finial. The second or continuous style, the type shown in this chair, used crest rail and arm rests that flowed uninterruptedly into their support posts. China, Asia

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