(早清明式金絲楠木四出頭扶椅) This is a beautiful 17-18th century Four-Protruding-Head style armchair with the original finish from the Jiangzhe area where many best examples of old Chinese furniture and woodwork came from. Although this chair looks somewhat rustic with the old finish, it has a sophisticated design and is made of the rare Gin-Si-Nan-Mu wood (金絲楠木). The name of the chair derived from the style of a court official's hat with the back- rest rail and the two arm rails sticking out (四出頭). The side chair of a similar style without the arm rests would be called “Two-Protruding-Head (二出頭)” style. These two styles are not uncommon for old Chinese chairs as many have been made during the Ming, Qing, and the 20th century. Many reproduced pieces can be seen as well.
Older Chinese chair or Chinese furniture piece like this one from the earlier period with a fine classical design, with excellent proportions, curves, and parts executed in well thought-out manner with an aesthetic standard derived from the earlier dynasties has increasingly become hard to find. It is a timeless design with simplistic beauty compared to some other pieces made much later in time with a variation of similar look. The bottom spandrels under the seat at front have been replaced.