Stunning, Pair of Chinese Huanghuali rose armchair. Each precious with an open-carved back frame formed by a straight top rail rounding the corners to the back posts, framed the open-work pierced back splat in scrolling dragons motif interspersed the central quatre-foil ruyi shaped petal panel. The straight arms continuing down to form the front posts, the woven cane mat seat set within a rectangular frame, joined by stepped stretchers and the footrest above the plain apron. The HuangHuaLi wood displays a dense hardwood and translucent shimmering surface with abstractly figured patterns appearing like ghost faces motif. Huanghuali, or "yellow flowering pear" wood, is a rare species of rosewood, mainly produced in Hainan province and once adorned imperial abodes. It is botanically classified as Dalbergia odoriferous. Huanghuali has witnessed a sharp price rise in recent years due to increased demand and limited supply. The volume of new HuangHuaLi wood originating in Hainan is so small it has now been placed under State protection and might risk going extinct. Originally know as huali or hualu, the modifier huang (yellowish-brown) was added in the early twentieth century to describe old huali wood whose surfaces had mellowed to a yellowish tone due to long exposure to light. The color can range from reddish-brown to golden-yellow. Historical references point to Hainan Island as the main source of huali. However, variations in the color, figure, and density suggest similar species sourced throughout North Vietnam, Guangxi, Indochina and the other isles of the South China Sea. The sweet fragrance of huali distinguishes it from the similar appearing but pungent-odored hongmu. The finest HuangHuaLi has a translucent shimmering surface with abstractly figured patterns that delight the eye. Those appearing like 'ghost faces' were highly prized. Notes: MEIGUI YI, or 'rose chairs', are the smallest of the standard chair designs in Chinese furniture, making them appropriate for both indoor and outdoor use. The T-scrolls and carved apron on the chairs are similar to a pair attributed to the early Kangxi period, illustrated in Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: One Hundred and Three Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection, Hong Kong, 2005, pl. 17. The present pair, however, is notable for the inclusion of the beaded apron and flanges under the arms. Another pair in the Dr. S. Y. Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture, attributed to the 17th century, illustrated in Grace Wu Bruce, Dreams of Chu Tan Chamber and the Romance with HuangHuaLi Wood, Hong Kong 1991, pl. 6, is slightly more simplistic with straight uncarved aprons. A set of four with uncarved arched stretchers and vertical braces, from the Property of Barling of Mount Street, Ltd., was sold in these rooms, 2nd December 1992, lot 606. Dimensions: 23.75"L x 18.75"W x 33.875"H