STAR SALES

For this months selection, Caroline Wheater focuses on furniture that has recently been offered in Fine sales at some of the UKs best auction houses

1. An Eminent Writer’s Seat

Estimate £10,000–£20,000 Sold £73,080

A sedan chair, used to transport a celebrated early 17th-century Chinese writer, sold for a top price at Woolley & Wallis. It is a perfect example of how a rare and somewhat quirky piece of furniture can quickly gain currency among rival bidders. As a mode of transport, the jianyu (sedan chair in Chinese parlance) was commonly used by emperors, princes and nobles to move between the great palaces.

This 400-year-old antique is a rare survivor, as most were used outdoors and suffered damage from the elements. This particular type of sedan, known as a yajiao shi, which has a rattan seat and open-framed footrest, belonged to the well-born historian and writer Zhang Dai (1597–1624), who was active during the Ming dynasty, but never served at the Ming court because he didn’t pass his Imperial exams.

The decorative sedan, made from prized huanghuali, has panels carved in high relief featuring mountainous landscapes and auspicious Chinese motifs, such as plum blossom and bamboo. The front panel depicts Zhang Dai living in seclusion up a mountain with his two attendants. ‘Although this is a remarkably personal object, it also tells the story of a period of turbulence in Chinese history and how one man turned his back on society and focused on his work and on nature,’ says specialist Freya Yuan-Richards. woolleyandwallis.co.uk

2. Italian Diva

Estimate £2,000–£3,000 Sold £7,800