| The chinese
antique furnifure of the Ming and Qing dynasties is of exquisite design,unique
workmanship and coreful carving. It has been the rare treasure and one
of the most splendid parts of Oriental culture.
Unseperated
from the culture and history, classical art gives us endless reverie, Chinese
classical furniture, with the mark of the traditional Enstern civilization,
conveys the information of our splendid history and the oriental concept
of steadiness, solemness and glory.
The chiese
antique furniture styles of Ming and Qing dynasties are particularly unique
for their elegance and delicacy. The Ming style antique chinese furniture
has been considerd as the model of Chinese furniture, with its craftsmanship
exquisite, its looks elegantly simple, the lines simplified and smooth,
the mortise and tenon firm and the construction resonable, Craftsmen of
the Qing dynasty inherited the charm of the Ming style, added a lot into
it and created a new style. Modern society witnesses the growing temptation
of truth and nature.
   
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.
   
|