Cynthia Volk, Chinese Art Senior Specialist commented: “The elegant beauty of Chinese hardwood furniture is on glorious display in the Fabian Collection. Commissioned from the 16th century by the scholarly elite, wealthy aristocrats, courtiers, and emperors, the desirability of these fine pieces has never faltered and we are now witnessing a tremendous appetite for these enduring works from collectors around the world.”

Founder and rector of St. Gregory’s of Nyssa Episcopal Church, San Francisco, the Reverend Richard Fabian found time to pursue his interest in Chinese Art, particularly that of hardwood furniture. Huanghuali, amongst the most valued hardwood in China, is praised for its vibrant colour, impressive grain pattern and light, sweet fragrance. These distinct qualities allowed craftsmen of the Ming and Qing Dynasties to create both plain and ornate surfaces that retained much of the material’s natural beauty. Father Fabian appreciated this refined aesthetic and it led him to his first major purchase of Chinese Furniture in 1974, a pair of yokeback armchairs from a small Connecticut antiques shop, which is included in this auction.

The sale is led by two pairs of Rare and Exceptional Huanghuali And Huamu ‘Fu’ Character Yokeback Armchairs which exemplify the very best of a particularly distinguished and distinctive type. The chairs of this much-studied and admired group are renowned for their generous proportions, varied textures, ingenious juxtaposition of positive and negative space, and the crisp undulating lines of the strongly shaped aprons and supports. The two pairs in the sale are four of just eleven of this type known and are estimated to fetch $500/700,000 and $300/500,000.