Antique, Pair of Chinese Huanghuali officer armchair. Each officer chair has a curved, protruding crest rail supported on an S-shaped splat and elegantly curved rear posts, which continue to form the rear legs. The curved arm rails are supported on elegant, curved spindles and tapering vertical stiles and extend beyond the front posts, which continue through the rectangular frame and form the front legs. The rectangular frame encloses seat above plain aprons and spandrels. The legs are joined by stepped stretchers and a footrest with shaped apron. The 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 Historical references point to Hainan Island as the main source of huali.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. Dimensions: 23.5"L x 21.75"W x 45.5"H