A pair of Zitan armchairs, 18/19th Century.
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Each of massive proportions and solidly constructed with elaborately carved openwork splats in the form of elongated, formalized and archaistic kui dragons or fenghuang, the design repeated on each side below the arm rests, the shaped aprons carved with archaistic scroll above beaded legs of square section. Hight back 92,5 cm, seating hight 48 cm, width 54 cm, dept 43 cm.
Provenance: From the Collection of Nils Robert Bjuke (1889-1973). A Swedish engineer who lived and worked in Canton, China during the 1920’s and 1930’s. For more information, see below.
Cracks, scratches, wear, metal mounts.
Provenance
Nils Robert Bjuke (1889-1973). A Swedish engineer who lived and worked in Canton, China during the 1920’s and 1930’s. He held the title Acting Engineer in Chief of the River Conservancy Commission and specialized in port prospection and built several ports for the Chinese Government. He was an active hobby film maker and his private records of street- and port life from this time is a real treasure trove and is now deposited at Kungliga Biblioteket in Stockholm, Sweden. He has written about his interesting meetings with people such as Tang Shao I and Nicolas Barclay de Tolly Weimarn in; Nya Äventyr Jorden Runt, Natur och Kultur, Stockholm.
He and his wife Margareta was passionate collectors of Chinese art, furniture and antiques. They donated pieces from their collection to the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm se for example lots no OM-1994-0007 and -0008.