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Sofia Suarez

I'd like to buy an antique Chinese chair. The rose style appeals  to me, but I don't know the difference between the types.

WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS

'The earliest example was found in a Song dynasty   painting,'  says Oi Ling Chiang of Contes d'Orient. 'The span of production was from the Song (960-1120)  to late Qing dynasties (1644-1911).  The rose chair's form is square with a low rectangular back.

'During the latter part of the Qianlong period (1736-1795), a new style of rose chair appeared on the market.'

These new characteristics included 'the addition of a horizontal supporting stile under the arms that gave the total form a more linear look'.

The evidence provided by the Song paintings, Chiang says, shows  that scholar-gentlemen used rose chairs in informal gatherings in the garden and study. 'In more recent paintings, rose chairs were used as decorative items in the hallway - very often under windows.'

BY ANY OTHER NAME

'Rose chairs were considered to have a delicate form and were  items of refinement,' Chiang says. 'They were usually commissioned  by the users to have a specific form and design.'

Various woods  were used.  'Rose chairs can be found in huanghuali [a member of the rosewood family] wood and soft wood such as  hetao mu [walnut] and elm wood,' she says. 'The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has a beautiful collection of rose chairs made of huanghuali.'

There are some basic differences between types of Chinese chairs. 'Generally, rose chairs have a lower back as compared to yoke back chairs. Horseshoe-back armchairs have a circular back with the back splat that supports the back of the user.  The circular back gently slopes down from the arms, which fit comfortably under the user's arms, whereas the back of the rose chair is angular and lower, and doesn't provide the same support.'

Although Chiang admits that rose chairs aren't as comfortable as others, she says they're widely admired for their elegant form.

TIPS FOR NEW COLLECTORS

Prices vary according to the  type of wood, period, origin and condition. 'For a pair of good 19th-century yimu [elm] rose chairs with the original parts, prices start from about $15,000.'

Fakes  exist everywhere and in different genres, Chiang says.  'Always pay close attention to  craftsmanship,  joinery,  proportion and  wood type.  Examine the decorative motifs and the lacquer finishes. For example, the craftsmanship,  proportion  and  execution of joineries of northern furniture are  different from furniture  in the River  South region [of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang].

'An experienced collector  will put a lot of emphasis on craftsmanship and unique elements - that is, the proportion of each  part and how each is related and put together.

'Look for elements to determine whether the piece is from a known workshop that has been identified by other known extant examples.'

Chiang advises against sanding  the chairs, and says beeswax can be used for day-to-day maintenance.

RESOURCES

A Muse on the Spiritual Dimensions of Chinese Antique Furniture: Chairs and Stools by Oi Ling Chiang ($150; Contes d'Orient).

Classical Chinese Furniture in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts by Robert D. Jacobsen ($507; Amazon.com).

Chinese Classical Furniture by Grace Wu Bruce ($171; Amazon.com).

Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture by Sarah Handler ($507; Amazon.com).

Minneapolis Institute of Arts: www.artsmia.org.

Contes d'Orient: G/F,  46 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central (tel: 2815 9422; www.contesdorient.com)

Send your questions  about collectibles to sofiasuarez@yahoo.com



Rose chairs