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HISTORY OF CHINESE FURNITUREIn ancient China it was customary, as in many other Asian cultures, to kneel or sit cross-legged on floor mats in the homes. All furnishings were restricted to this level until during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD). During this period higher seating began to appear in the homes of the noble and wealthy and then spread further through society. Being raised off the floor was closely associated with the elevated status of a person and seems likely to have been a major factor. Stools, chairs, benches and tables emerged.By the 12th century seating on the floor was not common in China anymore, whereas in other Asian countries the custom continued. In the vast majority of houses throughout the country chairs or stools were used. Over the next few centuries furniture continued to be refined both in design and construction. This development was leading up to the late Ming period (1368 – 1644), which is considered by most to be the golden age of Chinese furniture. By that time China had become extremely prosperous, particularly its coastal cities, and demand for luxury items like fine furniture had increased. The furniture of the Ming period displays simple, elegant lines, beautiful curves and superb craftsmanship. The quality and accuracy of joinery is so precise that nails and glue were used only as supplements. All the metalwork such as handles, hinges and lock plates was designed to complement the graceful lines of each piece. These were no longer simply functional items of furniture but had become objects of timeless beauty, able to 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 of designs were usually not put on paper. Instead, descriptions of ‘types’ of furniture were passed down from generation to generation verbally, along with the skills and craftsmanship to continue the tradition. Furniture produced for the ruling classes during the early Qing period (1644 – 1911) was similar to Ming and displayed the classic, simple lines. However, gradually, the style changed, and by the end of the 18th century much of the elegance and simplicity of Ming furniture had been replaced by angular shapes and overly ornate carvings. Nevertheless, furniture produced for the general population in China’s towns and villages remained simpler in style, often lacquered in red or black and decorated with landscape scenes or auspicious symbols. This type of furniture continued to be made into the early 20th century, with distinct styles visible in different regions of China. Chinese cabinets and armoires Traditional Chinese cabinets can be divided into two distinct styles according to their origin: Cabinets from the North have simple lines and a smooth surface whereas cabinets from the South are more elaborate in their style, decoration and carvings. The most common colors are red, dark yellow, and black. Often cabinets were made in matching pairs, placed either side by side or symmetrically to balance the interior layout of a room. Wedding cabinets were given as part of the wedding settlement, along with the clothes and fabrics they contained. They would then be placed in the newly-weds' bedroom. Brightly coloured and decorated, they would typically include shelves and drawers for storage. Their finish is always red lacquer, sometimes with a traditional design hand painted in gold. Very often we find butterflies painted in gold. To the ancient Chinese the butterfly was a symbol of long life and beauty. Most cabinets included shelves that could be removed, and often a concealed storage area at the bottom, covered by removable boards. The Western concept of a wardrobe did not exist in Ming Dynasty China, as the Chinese would never hang clothes vertically inside a cupboard. Instead clothes were laid flat inside a chest or cabinet, or hung on wooden racks. Cabinets were also used in the study to store books and writing utensils, and in the kitchen for food and cooking items. Although sideboards were not used in formal dining rooms as we use them today, large low cabinets would normally be placed in the centre of a Chinese living area or on the kang – the hollow, heated brick platform used in northern parts of China. These cabinets would contain everyday items and sometimes included ‘secret’ compartments for storing valuables. The metalware that we often associate with Chinese furniture and that was mounted on various types of cabinets and armoires was designed to be both functional and decorative. The lock plates were often richly decorated with classic Chinese designs like scrolling lotus, dragons, or cloud motifs. Chests and Trunks Even more popular than cabinets were trunks and document chests because they could serve several purposes in a room. Sizes ranged from small boxes to be placed on a table to large chests that would be placed on the floor against a wall. Throughout the Ming and Qing Dynasties they were used to store everything from clothes and blankets in the bedroom to grain and other food in the kitchen. Frequently, sets of chests or trunks in different sizes were stacked one on top of each other for bedroom storage, or would be placed on top of cabinets. Chinese chests were made using a dovetail or finger joint construction and designed with hinged lids and large lock plates. Made of brass or other alloy metals, these hinges, handles and lock plates were considered of major significance to the overall design of a piece and would often include intricate carving. Towards the end of the Ming period, storage chests were often set on a separate carved stand. Because of its insect-repelling properties and fragrant aroma, camphor wood was a very popular material for storage chests, particularly in the south of China where it was more readily available. However, other woods were also used, especially northern elm. Most of the chests and trunks are plain in appearance to show the beautiful grain of the wood, but some were also finished in red or black lacquer and painted on the front and side panels, usually with landscape scenes. In China chests of drawers as we know them today were not used by the Chinese for storing clothes, however, the concept of the drawer was developed early on in China. Drawers were incorporated into all types of cabinets, and multi-drawer chests were used by pharmacists for storing herbs and other medicines. Tables and Chairs The Chinese started to use chairs and stools as early as the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD). By the end of the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) Chinese society had moved away completely from the mat level culture to this higher level of seating. However, chairs were far less common than simple stools or benches and reflected the status and authority of the user. One of the earliest forms of Chinese chairs was the armchair with protruding head rails, which can be seen in drawings from as early as the 6th century. By the Ming Dynasty, this type of chair had been refined into the ‘Yoke-Back’ or ‘Official’s Hat’ armchair – a style that continued to be used throughout China for hundreds of years. The other most common type of Chinese chair is the horseshoe armchair. Folding chairs also developed early on in Chinese history, and seem to have been in use extensively during Ming times for travelling or for easy storage. The same type of chair would be used for several different purposes, whether for dining, for sitting at a desk or painting table, or as a pair in a reception room. Low level tables had been in use in ancient China, but with the arrival of stools and chairs came a variety of higher tables. As with most types of chairs, the same style of table could be used in many different ways – as a dining table, as a writing desk, or simply as a display table for ornaments or vases of flowers. XIA C.2200-1750 BC SHANG C.1750-1066 BC ZHOU C. 1066-22 QUI 221-206 BC HAN 206 BC-220 AD Three Kingdom Period 220-280 JIN 265-420 Northern and Southern Dynasties 420-581 SUI 581-618 TANG 618-907 Five Dynasties Period 907-960 SONG 960-1279 YUAN 1279-1368 MING 1368-1644 QING 1644-1911 REPUBLIC 1911-1949 PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC 1949-today
QING EMPERORS SHUNZHI 1644-1662 KANGXI 1662-1723 YONGZHENG 1723-1736 QINGLONG 1736-1796 JIAQING 1796-1821 DAOGUANG 1821-1851 XIANFENG 1851-1862 TONGZHI 1862-1875 GUANGXU 1875-1908 XUANTONG (PU YI) 1908-1911 |
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LINKS
Asian Art Museum, San Francisco Freer and Sackler Galleries, Washington DC The Art Institute of Chicago Peabody Essex Museum Wikipedia – Chinese Furniture Classical Chinese Furniture |
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