Early 20th Century Chinese Chair With Bird and Flower Carving

Details

Description

I look at this chair and I see Art Noveau Romanticism, I see flowers in Mucha's drawings. This is a … Read more I look at this chair and I see Art Noveau Romanticism, I see flowers in Mucha's drawings. This is a controversial statement, it is a Chinese armchair in question. However, if you look at the movement of the decorative elements on chair, it may be a Ming style chair in form, but its appearance has this unique Western quality that is absent in Chinese furniture. This brings me to believe it is a one of a kind chair, a chair made to special order, strictly to express the artistic trend of Europe of that period.
The style of the chair with arms and supported by four legs connected with bridge stretchers is a basic form of armchair found in China. But that is when the association ends. The style comes across as easy elegance, with flowing lines across the back splat and curvy arms. The design elements of the back splat beginning with the crest rail that resembles an abstract moth with spread wings to the phoenix bird hovering over its young and surrounded by grapes and other flowers and vines. The ornaments under the arm rails are open ovals of floral scrolls unlike another seen in Chinese chairs. Together I see design qualities that relate more to European art noveau than any bird and flower designs in Chinese art.

The wood is a soft hardwood that has hardly any wood grains which was specially selected not to detract from the design elements of the chair. See less