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Qing Style Huanghuali Carved Official's Hat Armchairs with Inscription and Side Table

清式黄花梨雕刻官帽椅带铭文及一旁几

By: Unknown

Style: Qing Revival / Official's Hat Armchair

Origin: China

Materials: Huanghuali (or similar hardwood), gilt inscription

Age: Late 20th – Early 21st century (ca. 1980-2020, reproduction)

Condition: Excellent (minimal wear, bright finish, not period, modern production)

Value: $2,000 – $4,000 (for the set, at auction)

Maker's Marks / Writing: Carved gilt characters on chair backs: '福', '大學士高斌', '文淵閣', etc. One chair references '乾隆十二年' and bears a red square seal. Translation: 'Blessing, Cabinet Grand Secretary Gao Bin, Wen Yuan Pavilion, Qianlong 12th Year'.

Date: 2025-07-21 14:10:17.684714

Description:

This is a matching pair of armchairs (known in Chinese as 'official's hat chairs') with a side table, crafted in the traditional Qing dynasty style. The chairs are constructed from wood with striking, attractive grain that resembles huanghuali, highly prized in Chinese furniture. Both chair backs feature elaborate carved inscriptions in gilt characters, including the word '福' (fortune/blessing), poetic couplets, and a date referencing Qianlong reign. The frames have elegant curves, shaped crestrails, and arms in keeping with classic 'guanmaoyi' (official's hat chair) forms. The associated side table displays similar wood and construction. Despite the references to the Qianlong emperor and use of old-fashioned motifs, the overall appearance, carving quality, lack of substantial wear, brightly polished finish, and overstated inscriptions are indicative of a late 20th or early 21st-century reproduction.     这是一对配有旁几的成对官帽椅，采用传统清代样式制作。椅子由纹理精美、酷似黄花梨的木材制成，是中国古典家具中极为珍贵的木料。椅背设有雕刻铭文，包括“福”字、诗句及乾隆年款。在结构设计上具有优美的弯曲靠背及扶手，体现了传统官帽椅（“官帽椅”）的典型形制。中间的旁几也采用了相似的材料与工艺。尽管铭文中提及乾隆年间并采用了传统元素，但整体观感、雕工质量、几乎没有自然磨损，以及光亮的表面处理和夸张的铭文风格，都显示出该组家具实际上是晚20世纪或21世纪初的仿制品。

Curator Questions

Curated by Jade

Assessment:

A word about fakes.. This set beautifully exemplifies the classic Qing dynasty 'official's hat chair' form and would be highly desirable if period, but several indicators flag it as a modern reproduction: gilt inscriptions with direct Qianlong dating (unusually ostentatious and not standard for authentic Qing chairs), bright polished finish with minimal age wear, and the overall construction all point to recent manufacture. Such sets are made for the decorative market and are not of the period, though they use quality materials and traditional joinery. Collectors should be cautious, as genuine Qing official’s hat chairs of this quality and wood would fetch much higher sums. And that's etched in Jade..!     关于赝品的一句话……此套椅展现了标准清代官帽椅的典型造型，若为真品应极具收藏价值，但其若干特征均明显为现代仿品：比如带有直接乾隆年款的鎏金铭文（极为夸张，非常不符合真实清代家具特质）、光亮表面几乎无自然磨损，以及整体结构，都显示其为近年或最近几十年所制。此类成套家具多为装饰市场所制，虽用料优良、榫卯精良，但并非时代物。收藏者需高度警惕，因真正清代高等级黄花梨官帽椅价格远高于此。And that's etched in Jade..!

Individual Images:

• Detail images focus on the carved inscriptions: one chair features the large character '福' (blessing) and a poetic couplet in gold
• as well as a panel dated 'Qianlong 12th Year' (乾隆十二年)
• and a red seal. The carving and calligraphy styles appear somewhat modern
• with sharply defined
• bright gold infill and no significant softening from use. The close-up of the arm shows smooth
• machine-finished edges and minimal patina
• further reinforcing the assessment of recent production. The grain of the wood is highly figured and dramatic
• typical of huanghuali or a similar wood
• but the overall presentation lacks the irregularity and subtle age-wear seen in authentic Ming-Qing pieces.

Provenance:

None provided with images (no documentation shown).

Condition:

Excellent (minimal wear, bright finish, not period, modern production)

Identification Score: 95%

The forms, wood grain, joinery, and elaborate inscriptions make identification as a pseudo-Qing (revival) 'official's hat chair' set straightforward, though minor ambiguity remains regarding precise workshop origin.     该组家具形制、木纹、榫卯结构及大幅雕刻铭文均高度吻合清式（仿古）官帽椅的特征，鉴定基本无误，仅具体作坊难以确定。

Authenticity Score: 25%

Although the style faithfully replicates Qing dynasty forms, the elaborate, unrealistic inscriptions, bright finish, and near-absence of genuine patina or use wear point to a late 20th or 21st-century reproduction. Authentic late Qing or earlier huanghuali chairs are far more reserved in their inscriptions and show considerably more age and wear.     虽有很逼真的仿清样式，但较为夸张的不现实铭文、光亮饰面、缺乏真实岁月痕迹和使用磨损等细节，表明这组家具为20世纪末或21世纪仿品。真正的晚清或更早黄花梨官帽椅铭文极为简练且应有岁月痕迹。

Image Memory Note

This is a pair of Chinese 'official's hat' armchairs (guanmaoyi) with pronounced upward-sweeping crest rails, curved arms, well-defined figured wood, and a rectangular side table. Each tall, upright back splat has inset panels with elaborate gilt inscriptions, one with the large character 福 on top, and a vertical column stating (on one chair) '黄花梨官帽椅壹对，大清乾隆十二年，文淵閣，大学士高斌' with a red seal below, and on the other similar verse without a date but referencing literary allusions. No physical wear, abrasions, or structural imperfections are apparent in the images—edges and joints are smooth, surfaces highly polished, and the wood grain is pronounced. No chips, cracks, stains, or repairs are visible. The characters and seal are sharp and clean; the red seal is square with identifiable but unclear script. All furniture is photographed against a plain gray felt background.     这是一对中国“官帽椅”（冠帽椅），配有上扬的弯曲搭脑、秀美的扶手、特征明显的黄花梨纹理和矩形旁几。两椅的高背板内嵌雕刻鎏金铭文，一把椅子顶部为“福”字，下方竖排内容为“黄花梨官帽椅壹对，大清乾隆十二年，文淵閣，大学士高斌”，尾端有红色印章；另一椅有类似并无年款，仅见文人典故。影像中看不到任何自然磨损、磕碰、结构损坏，边角光滑，表面高度抛光，木纹夸张漂亮。可见所有铭文和印章雕刻都十分锐利清晰，红色印章为方形，内有可辨认但模糊的文字。椅子、旁几均为灰色毡布背景拍摄。

Keywords

Qing Revival, official's hat chair, huanghuali, Chinese furniture, inscribed, reproduction, China, armchair, wooden furniture     清式仿古，官帽椅，黄花梨，中国家具，铭文，仿品，中国，扶手椅，木质家具

Report ID:  : 6w4myc

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