Chinese Wood Armchair

Round-backed armchair in black, quietly asking everyone to sit up straight.

This armchair is from Guangdong Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is elm wood. As original period furniture became harder to find, restoration artists began salvaging fragments from incomplete pieces to make complete ones, and eventually full reproductions began to surface. Smooth, continuous curve of crest and arm rails encloses a flat central splat. A framed seat panel sits over a modest curved apron, with straight legs joined by stretchers at the bottom. Dark, matte-glossy finish and visible grain. It is 23.5 inches long, 17.25 deep and 38.25 high.

Simple lines, serious demeanor, and a surprisingly generous seat.