A RARE QING IMPERIAL STYLE ANTLER ARMCHAIR

The chair's design features a circular frame made from paired deer horns, with the backrest secured by two trimmed deer horns against a purple wood core panel, adorned with intricately carved dragon head motifs on both the upper and lower sections.
Size: 120 x 140 x 150cm
Provenance: French private collection
NOTE
- A similar armchair in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing, reference 故00207860
Currently, there are seven known surviving deer antler chairs in China, with The Palace Museum the Forbidden City holding five chairs, each uniquely designed. The deer antlers used in these chairs were sourced from deer captured during royal hunting activities in the Qing Dynasty. Crafting thrones from deer antlers is a profound homage to the equestrian roots, preserving the essence of Manchu heritage. Emperor Qianlong expressed his reverence in a poem, stating, 'Dare not sit upon it, ever in awe and admiration.
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