17TH CENTURY

The present pair is exceptionally large, measuring over 68 cm. (27 in.) wide and 61 cm. (24 in.) deep. The plain, beaded aprons and humpback stretchers joining the legs create a pleasing visual effect by elongating the distance between the legs giving the pair a lightness and grace not seen in standard rectangular stools. In this example, the minimal lines of this deceptively simple design are emphasized by the unadorned beaded edges and the crisp upturned hoof feet creating a modern aesthetic that transcends its 17th-century date.

Stools of this large size are often referred to as ‘meditation stools’ as their size allows the user to sit on them cross-legged. These large stools were made in various designs, such as the huanghuali example with double humpbacked stretchers and double-reeded members in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by Wang Shixiang in Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, 1990, vol. 11, p. 20, pl. A7, of slightly larger size (70 cm. square). Compare a huanghuali ‘meditation’ stool, formerly in the Flacks Family Collection, the aprons finely carved with scrolling tendrils, sold at Christie’s New York, 16 September 2016, lot 1122.