Provenance: Ah Tay Workshop Binondo, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

The Estilo Luis Quince was a revival of the Louis XV Style that became popular in Europe in the 3rd quarter of the 19th Century. It began in France during the latter part of Louis Philippe’s reign and flourished during the 2nd Empire of Napoleon III. It became the rage in the Philippines after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The style was characterized by curved frames embellished with elaborate carving of floral and fruit motifs with delicate foliage and intricate details. This chair is an elaborate version of the usual Luis Quince chairs seen in Philippine collections today, and the intricateness of the design and the quality of the workmanship and carving definitely screams that is the work of the famous Ah Tay. The chair stands on two delicate and graceful cabriole legs in front and a pair of square legs slightly curved at the back. The sides of the legs are grooved, the groove transforming itself into a volute on the bow-shaped apron, while the bowed edge of the apron is scalloped. The seat support is edged with a quarter-round molding, while the seat is caned. At the sides are S-shaped arm supports on which rest gracefully curved arms ending with a scroll in front. The grooved back stile is bowed to follow the circular shape of the back support resting on a lower back stile. Surmounting it is a pierced crest, its outline shaped like a stylized bat in flight, the Chinese symbol of happiness and joy. This is because the pronunciation of the word is similar to that of good fortune. The outline of the crest, composed of grooved scallops decorated with bosses, enclose a reticulated panel carved with a central tri-lobed leaf flanked symmetrically by a leaf-scroll with a flower with four petals. The oval backrest is caned in front and at the back. -Martin I. Tinio, Jr.