Antique Way

Furniture General

By the 12th century seating on the floor was rare in China, unlike in other Asian countries where the custom continued, and the chair or more commonly the stool was used in the vast majority of houses throughout the country.

Over the next few centuries furniture design and construction continued to be refined, leading up to the late Ming period (1368 - 1644), which is considered by most to be the golden age of Chinese furniture. By this time China had become extremely prosperous, particularly its coastal cities, and demand for luxury items including fine furniture had grown.

The furniture of this time displayed simple, elegant lines, beautiful curves and superb craftsmanship. The quality and accuracy of joinery was so precise that nails and glue were used only as supplements.

Metalwork such as handles, hinges and lock plates were designed to complement the graceful lines of each piece. These were no longer simply functional items of furniture but had become objects of beauty, and their timeless simplicity means that they still grace even the most modern home.

Many of the designs that first appeared during this period remained unchanged, in some cases for hundreds of years. Drawings on paper were rare. Instead verbal descriptions of ¡®types¡¯ of furniture were passed down from generation to generation, along with the skills and craftsmanship to continue the tradition.

In many ways the artisans that produced the beautiful pieces of this time were far more advanced than their European counterparts. One simple example of their technical superiority is the appearance early on in China of the curved backrest, designed to both please the eye and to increase a chair¡¯s comfort. This same feature did not appear in European furniture making until centuries later.

The majority of Ming furniture was made of timber from indigenous trees such as pine, elm and zelkova (known as ¡®southern elm¡¯). However, the lifting of a ban on imports in 1567 and the subsequent increase in maritime trade also saw the use of tropical hardwoods, mostly imported from South East Asia. These included the dense, precious hardwoods Zitan and Huang-Huali.

Although few examples of the originals remain today, a wide range of finishes were used for furniture of the Ming period. These included heavy carved lacquer, sometimes inlaid with mother of pearl or agate; plainer red or black lacquer; and a more natural finish, allowing the grain to stand out and the beauty of the wood to be the main focus of the piece.

Contrary to the image often held in Western minds of opulent painted and lacquered items, evidence suggests that the elite scholars and officials of the time preferred a more refined and restrained finish.

Furniture produced during the early Qing period (1644 - 1911) was similar to Ming and continued to display classic, simple lines. However a change in style gradually appeared, and by the end of the 18th century the purity of Ming furniture had been replaced by angular forms and overly ornate carvings.

The designs that came out of China during the Ming dynasty were much admired by the Europeans and have had a major influence on Western interior design. The timeless simplicity and perfect proportions of Ming furniture allow these pieces to grace even the most modern home.

About Chinese furniture

Classical Chinese furniture developed from ancient times. Fine lacquered wooden furniture had already appeared as early as the Han Dynasty. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Chinese began to change the habit of kneeling or sitting cross-legged on a platform to sitting with legs pendant on a stool.

This gave rise to furniture of level height. The technically structured and multi-decorated Song furniture laid the foundation for the further development and perfection of Ming and Qing furniture. Classical furniture reached its zenith in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Each age was marked by its own distinctive artistic style.

Ming furniture is characterized by a simple and elegant structure with fluent lines and appealing proportions. Qing furniture in contrast is larger and more imposing with elaborate carving and inlaid decoration. These two types of furniture differed greatly in style but each reached a high level of artistic success and can claim a place in the history of world furniture.

Chinese furniture was highly developed in the Ming Dynasty. Carpentry skills had already reached a high level in the Song and Yuan dynasties. This combined with the growing prosperity of city commercial economy, the rise of house and garden buildings and the import of large quantities of hardwood from Southeast Asia facilitated its success.

From extant Ming furniture can be seen that Ming furniture covered all varieties of Chinese furniture. Its shapes, simple lines, pleasing proportions and a tight mortise and tenon structure formed a distinct artistic style. Great emphasis was placed on the use of the natural beauty of the wood grain together with adopting latticework and openwork carving. This simple classical style has helped to establish its fame.