Chinese 2-seater Portable Portrait Chair

Double-seat folding chair with red-and-black back panels and a rakish pair of runners.

This 2-seater portable portrait chair is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is lacquered elm wood & hemp. Collectors generally weigh aesthetics, age, condition, design, origin and provenance when judging antique furniture, though the article argues that scarcity ends up with the greatest influence on value. Two chair backs share one long frame, each with a red panel cut in a stepped shape between black posts. Crossed legs support the wide seat rail, and a lower footboard with scalloped trim rests on flat skids. It is 42 inches long, 16 deep and 40 high.

Seats two and folds up when the conversation ends.