Rare Vintage Rattan Chair signed by Audoux-Minet, 1950s

Beautiful boudoir chair from the Napoleon III period / late 19th century in blackened and gilded wood. Beautiful tapestry and trimmings in perfect condition. Very sturdy and suit...

A magnificent and exceptionally elaborate Burmese carved teak reclining armchair, probably dating from the 1880s, of highly sculptural form and extraordinary quality of carving. Carved throughout from Burmese teak, the armchair is distinguished by its unusually elaborate pierced and relief-carved decoration, combining luxuriant scrolling foliage with mythical creatures, serpentine dragons or nāgas, floral motifs and anthropomorphic or divine figures. The sweeping arms are particularly spectacular, each terminating in an imposing serpentine dragon/nāga head, while the sides of the chair are formed as an intricate openwork composition of intertwined mythical creatures and scrolling vegetation. The elaborate carving continues throughout the seat rail, apron, legs and supports, with numerous deeply undercut elements producing an almost three-dimensional, sculptural effect. The front supports are noteworthy, being conceived as mythical beasts and guardian figures, with the feet terminating in powerful animal forms. The extensive use of pierced carving allows the light to pass through the decoration, creating the characteristic "lacework" effect associated with the finest Burmese carved furniture of the nineteenth century. The armchair has a woven cane seat and reclining back, providing a striking contrast to the dense, sculptural carving of the teak frame. The design combines indigenous Burmese decorative vocabulary with the form of a substantial European-style reclining armchair. Such furniture belongs to the fascinating tradition of Anglo-Burmese furniture, in which highly skilled Burmese craftsmen adapted local carving traditions to furniture forms produced for wealthy Burmese patrons, European residents and the colonial market. The extraordinary richness of the carving suggests that this was not an ordinary domestic chair but a prestige or ceremonial piece, intended to demonstrate both the status of its owner and the exceptional skill of its maker. The form, cane work, construction and style of carving are consistent with the flourishing production of elaborate Burmese furniture during the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early British colonial period. Another late-19th-century Burmese carved teak chair in the National Trust collection, dated approximately 1870–1910, demonstrates the exceptional level of Burmese woodcarving during this period. It is described as deeply and intricately carved with foliage, mythical animals and other figural motifs. The British Museum likewise illustrates the extraordinary importance of Burmese teak and carving in the nineteenth century, noting that teak was prized for its strength and resistance to insects and moisture and that Burmese craftsmen were renowned for highly sophisticated wood carving. A detailed certificate will be issued to the buyer. Condition: Recently replaced cane work, minor losses to carving. Provenance: by tradition from Ulriksdals Slott Palace. Formerly in the collections of King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden (1882-1973). Historical context During the nineteenth century Burma became one of the most important sources of highly carved teak furniture in Southeast Asia. Burmese teak was particularly suited to furniture because of its exceptional durability and resistance to the tropical climate. Following the British annexation of Upper Burma in 1885, Burmese craftsmen increasingly produced furniture incorporating European forms while retaining highly sophisticated indigenous carving traditions. The resulting furniture is frequently referred to as Anglo-Burmese or Anglo-Indian/Burmese furniture. The phenomenon is part of a much broader history of exchange between European and Asian furniture traditions. Amin Jaffer's important reference work Furniture from British India and Ceylon examines precisely this interaction between European furniture forms and local craftsmanship and discusses the considerable difficulties involved in attributing colonial furniture correctly. The book, published by V&A Publications in 2001, contains a catalogue of approximately 200 pieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum and Peabody Essex Museum collections. Interestingly, Christie's specifically cites Amin Jaffer's Furniture from British India and Ceylon, p. 392, in connection with another late-19th-century Anglo-Indian teak chair with carved dragons and foliage. Related Literature Amin Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, V&A Publications / Peabody Essex Museum, 2001, 416 pp. Christie's, "A Burmese Carved Teak Reclining Armchair," late 19th/early 20th century. National Trust Collections, Kedleston Hall, "Steering Chair...

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