A Study on the Form, Material, and Cultural Value of the Rosewood Four-Head Official’s Cap Chair With Golden Flecks: A Case Study of the Inscribed Piece by Wang Shixiang

Ming-style furniture represents the pinnacle of Chinese traditional furniture, with the four-head official’s cap chair standing out as a representative category due to its classic form and cultural connotations. This paper takes a specific rosewood four-head official’s cap chair inscribed by Wang Shixiang as the research subject, employing a tripartite approach of form analysis, material examination, and inscription interpretation. The chair strictly adheres to the classic form of Ming-style four-head official’s cap chairs, embodying the Ming Dynasty design philosophy of “the unity of function and aesthetics”. The scarcity and unique grain pattern of the golden-flecked rosewood (Zitan) endow it with the status of “gold among woods”. Wang Shixiang’s inscription binds the furniture to the cultural essence of “the charm of the Ming Dynasty”, transforming it into “heritable cultural heritage”. This paper provides a new perspective for the case study of Ming-style furniture and offers theoretical reference for the contemporary inheritance of traditional craftsmanship.

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