Horseshoe Armchair, Light Elm Apothecary Finished in our warm elm

Finished in our warm elm

The top surface is set with a sanded rattan panel

This style of chair was one of the first to appear in China

This was normally made either from three or five pieces of wood

while the top is set with a rattan panel to provide a hard wearing surface

Horseshoe Armchair, Light Elm Apothecary Finished in our warm elmThe light finish on this version of our horseshoe armchair, accentuates the grain of the elm wood and complexity of the build, as all the different joins can be seen. Known also in Chinese as 'Grand Tutor Chairs' (taishi yi), they were used initially by high ranking officials at court and were symbols of great status in Ming dynasty China. They later became more common but were still reserved for the most important visitors and members of a household.