Lot 486: Chinese Style Hardwood Scholar Stool with Flange Ends
A low hardwood stool or scholar’s bench designed in the traditional Chinese Ming style. The piece is constructed from a dark-stained dense hardwood and features a rectangular seat frame with a recessed centre. Set into the frame is a drop-in rectangular cushion upholstered in a cream-ground tapestry-style fabric decorated with a floral and foliate pattern in green and muted red tones. The seat is flanked by two elevated, outward-curving flange ends. The subframe consists of a shaped apron with a simple beaded edge, joined by traditional mortise and tenon joinery to four square-section legs. The legs are embellished with carved stylized cloud-form spandrels at the upper corners and terminate in inward-curving horse-hoof (ma-ti) feet. A small orange rectangular adhesive label is present on the wood frame of the seat, though the characters on it are not legible. No other maker’s marks, stamps, or labels are visible on the exterior surfaces.
Condition report:
The hardwood frame shows general wear consistent with age and domestic use, including scattered surface scratches and small nicks to the edges of the flange ends and legs (photo 1). There is visible fading and thinning of the stain on the lower portions of the legs (photo 1). The upholstery appears structurally sound but shows light overall soiling and wear to the pile of the fabric (photo 1). The structural joinery appears firm.
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