QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

Chairs of this type are known as meiguiyi in the north but in the south they are known as wenyi or scholar's chair. The form is characterised by its low regular back and it is thought that when placed in the scholar's studio, it would fit neatly under the window without obstructing the view outside. It is interesting to note that the rectangular back is fitted with four sides of aprons similar to the pair of low-back chairs illustrated in Chinese Furniture, One Hundred Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection, New York, 1996, p. 85, no. 22.