Chinese Yoke Back Side Chair: Water Buffalo Top Rail

Black-brown and sturdy, with a simple arched top rail.

This yoke back side chair is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the late 19th century. It is elm wood. During the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976, a great deal of antique Chinese furniture was burned, confiscated or scattered, which the article says helped start the scarcity of such pieces. Dark chair with a gently arched crest rail on slim posts and a single tapered splat. The seat is a broad flat panel with a darkened surface, and a scalloped apron edges the front. Box stretchers sit near the floor. It is 20 inches long, 14.5 deep and 45 high.

Solid and quiet, like the best houseguests.