by Andy Lao
Unique, beautiful Chinese furniture is admired by furniture lovers the world over. Developed over 4,000 years ago, Chinese furniture has evolved into a sophisticated art form over the last couple hundred years. Although its enchanting beauty attracts most, it is also praised for its excellent practical functions. Both Chinese and overseas shoppers enjoy buying Chinese furniture to beautify their homes.
[I:http://tresoryakro.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/AndyLao32.jpg]Even though archaeological evidence suggests the Chinese started making furniture items as early as the Neolithic period, classic-style Chinese furniture did not come into being until the Tang dynasty. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, furniture was perfected and became a cultured, highly sophisticated decorative art.
Chinese furniture developed through three main periods: the pre-Tang period, the Tang and Song dynasty period, and the Ming and Qing dynasty period.
Pre-Tang Period: Before the Tang dynasty, Chinese people had a tradition of sitting on woven mats, much like the Japanese tradition of sitting on a “tatami.” Furniture items in the house were normally arranged around the mat, and all furniture was simple and minimal. Wealthy people could afford furniture that was made of bronze or painted with lacquer, and these pieces often had elaborate decorations.
Tang and Song Dynasty Period: During the Tang dynasty, upper-class Chinese began to use the classic-style Chinese furniture. Paintings from that period show people sitting on high chairs instead of mats. This change is believed to be influenced by Buddhism and the lifestyle of the nomadic tribes living in northern China. In the Song dynasty, both ordinary people and social elites accepted this change and started to use this new style of furniture in their homes.
Ming and Qing Dynasty Period: The development of Chinese furniture reached its zenith during this period. The refinement of decorative patterns and the advancements in furniture-making techniques enabled Chinese furniture to reach an unforeseen level of beauty and sophistication. The old designs were discarded, replaced, or thoroughly improved, and a variety of new designs was invented.
The furniture made in these two dynasties was drastically different in design and taste, though similar in general style and construction. Ming dynasty furniture had a more elegant form, focused on the purity of design, and was favored by the scholarly class. Qing dynasty furniture, on the other hand, focused on the beauty of decorations, preferred complexity to simplicity, and tended to have an overly extravagant design. Now most antique shops in Beijing sell antique furniture items from this period.
Chinese furniture is generally priced for its material and craftsmanship. Years of experience is usually required for anyone to become an expert in judging the quality of any furniture piece.
Because most Chinese furniture items are made of wood, the value of wood almost completely determines the value of a piece of furniture. Furniture made of rare, precious wood sometimes can sell for millions of dollars. Chinese furniture dealers have their own saying when it comes to ranking the quality of different types of wood: “One yellow, two black, three red, and four white.”
“One yellow” refers to Huanghuali, or Yellow Pear, wood. This precious and rare wood is the number one choice for furniture lovers.
“Two black” means Zitan wood, or Purple Incense wood, the second most revered kind of Chinese furniture.
“Three red” refers to redwood, the most well-known, popular type of wood among Chinese furniture fans. The four main types of redwood are: old redwood, Chicken’s Wing wood, Tieli wood, and Huali wood.
“Four white” means white wood. There are many types of white wood that are commonly used, including Nanmu wood, beech tree wood, camphorwood, and pine.
[I:http://tresoryakro.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/AndyLao33.jpg]While it might only require book knowledge to judge the quality of wood, it requires experience and a deep understanding of Chinese culture to judge the craftsmanship of a piece of Chinese furniture. Profound concepts like the unity of man and heaven, the peace between man and nature, and the inner and outer beauty of things are all integrated in great pieces of Chinese furniture. A trained expert examining the craftsmanship of any piece can know not only the technical skill of the person who made it, but the meaning of the design.
In many of Beijing’s local shops, there are beautiful, unique Chinese furniture items for sale. When you are in Beijing, make sure to pay a visit to one of those shops. You won’t regret the experience. Find a personal shopper if you don’t know how to get to these shops or identify quality items.
Arts & Entertainment
Arts & Entertainment