High Yoke-Back Armchair

The protruding crestrails of this armchair were thought to resemble the two silk protuberances on either side of an official's hat, thus the name "Official's Hat Chair." In the late Ming period, the apparent plainness and lack of adornment of this type of chair was an aesthetic statement in itself. Many members of the late-Ming elite strove for such simplicity. This armchair relies on the subtly curving splats, stiles, and armrests and on the grain of the wood to communicate an air of restrained elegance.