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Bohoco FURNITURE ORIGINS Chinese furniture 1. Brief history 1.1 Early times China has a rich and long history of furniture design and manufacture. Examples of early, plain and decorated wooden lacquer furniture date back as far as 500BC. Even these early pieces demonstrate the signature theme running through all Chinese furniture; balancing function with aesthetic design. This approach to design remained the mainstay throughout the whole history of furniture manufacture up to the beginning of the Cutural Revolution. Early pieces (pre 16th century) were made from local Chinese softwoods, and coated with lacquer to protect surfaces. This is, perhaps, the traditional perception of the western concept of Chinese antique furniture. From the 16th century, tropical hard woods were imported into China from South East Asia. The change in wood revolutionised Chinese furniture design in two ways. The use of hard woods allowed technical advances in joinery so that more refined, elegant forms were possible and as lacquer was no longer required to protect the surfaces, furniture was waxed and oiled to reveal the natural grain and beauty of the wood. The skill of cabinet making reached a peak in the mid Qing dynasty taking its lead from the inspirational designs of the Ming period. For this reason, the late Ming and Early Qing dynasty (16th to mid 18th century) is referred to as the ‘Golden Age’.
1.2 ‘The Golden Age’ During the 17th and 18th centuries, Chinese style became revered in the west due to a combination of the Chinese export trade and European commercial involvement in China at this time. The vogue for ‘all things Chinese’ swept across Europe and reached England in the mid 18th century and continued for a considerable period. Chinese silk wallpaper was imported in vast quantities, Chinese style furniture and porcelain was copied in northern Europe. Even Thomas Chippendale the master cabinetmaker made furniture in the ‘Chinoisserie’ style to satisfy demand. The popularity of the furniture also spread through all levels of the Chinese imperial class system. During the Golden Age, most fine furniture made for the upper classes and eminent families was produced by craftsmen from the lower Yangtze valley region, the most populous and wealthy area of China. China is, however a vast country with a large, mostly poor, population. Hence most people probably relied upon local village craftsmen, to make furniture from available regional woods, in the Ming and early Qing style. This practice was carried on until the 20th century. Consequently, furniture from this period is characterised by two styles. Highly decorated pieces with intricate carving and painting made for prominent officials and more eminent southern classes. In contrast, the domestic or vernacular furniture is practical and aesthetic with simple lines and minimal decoration. This furniture is distinctive in character, and as vernacular furniture was made locally certain differences in regional style developed. Furniture from the north is plainer and more solidly built. Regional Northern Elm was used which has a plain, simple grain. Furniture made in the more prosperous south is usually decorated either with intricate carving or fine gold painting. The Southern Elm or ‘Jumu’ wood is considered better quality than its northern cousin and has a more elaborate grain and texture, which enhances the natural beauty of the furntiture.
1.3 19th and 20th Century. The long history of imperial rule finished with fall of the last Emperor, Xuan Tong in 1911. The Republic of China was established in 1912, which influenced artistic expression in a different way. Mao announced the Cultural Revolution in 1966 and fine pieces from the Golden Age were largely destroyed. Any remaining pieces are now housed in museums and private collections. The plain, simple vernacular furniture of the late Qing period survived, as it was deemed functional rather than decorative.
2. Chinese furniture; design and function 2.1 Cabinets and chests. Chinese traditional style cabinets have always offered wonderful storage and aesthetic beauty. Traditionally, Chinese cabinets have camphor shelves rather than hanging rails used in the West. In China, garments were usually folded with perfumed cloth and placed in open, round vessels. Cabinets were originally used for the storage of folded silk garments and covers but as most cabinets have removable shelves, central posts, side panels and doors they can be used to store media centres, televisions etc. Although used mainly as convenient storage, some cabinets have a different function depending upon the household and the region. Marriage cabinets had a very traditional function and have been handed down from generation to generation and are still used today. Traditionally, as part of the marriage settlement, the bride would bring to her new family (as part of her dowry) clothes, blankets, bed linen, stored in the marriage cabinet, as well as furniture and jewellery. The decorative style of these cabinets vary by region but they are usually painted red – the Chinese colour for good luck. Some are characterised by a large round brass disk on the doors. The circular disk means ‘tuan yuan’, when translated means ‘togetherness’. The amount and quality of the dowry had an influence the family’s status with in the community. Highly decorated cabinets from the southern, more affluent areas of China were placed in the main reception room and displayed fine porcelain and other family treasures made from jade and bronze. When important guests visited, these treasures could be easily taken from the cabinet and admired. More wealthy families, would display in turn specific treasures, depending upon the season. This is reflected in the design of these cabinets as they are typically four doored, each door painted or calved with flowers and fruit illustrating the four seasons. ‘Willow’ for Spring, ‘Plum’ for Summer, ‘Bamboo’ for Autumn and ‘Pine’ for Winter. This design is also thought to represent good luck and long life Cabinets from the north had a more practical use. The winters in northern china are extremely cold, and the summer months can be very warm. Hence wool and cashmere required in the winter gave way to silk and cotton in the summer. Unseasonable blankets, comforters and clothes were stored in cabinets. Kitchen cabinets were used for storing both food and utensils. They range from simple bamboo to elegantly carved fir or elm. Most bamboo cabinets are simple in design and were used in poorer, peasant homes to store food. More elaborate kitchen cabinets follow a traditional design of two or four doors (depending on size) for the top section, used to hold the family china for meals, a set of draws in the middle section, and a more open lower section with sliding doors, for storing food which often included livestock.
2.2 Chests Chests are very popular in China, for storing of just about anything. They range in size and can be found in most rooms in the home. Chests in the kitchen stored food as well as utensils; chests in the library stored books, scrolls and paintings; and, chests in the bedroom containing bedding and clothes. Chests are were often stacked and in a modern setting they provide an unusual solution for storage.They are usually made of camphor wood and as this wood has insect repellent properties, the garments would be kept in good condition. Small chests were used for storing jewellery, and ‘dressing cases’ for combs, mirrors, toiletries and cosmetics required by both men and women. Cut hair was often kept in boxes and when enough was collected, woven into hairpieces. Hair boxes were also be placed with the body for burial.
2.3 Tables and chairs. Chairs and tall tables are relative late comers to the story of Chinese furniture design, the majority emerging from the Golden Age of the late Ming and Qing periods. The transition from sitting cross-legged on low platforms to sitting at high tables on chairs was unique in Asia, as the Chinese were the only civilisation in the Asian subcontinent to do so at the time. Chinese chairs from the Golden Age look strikingly modern with their geometric, clean lines and simplicity of style. Generally chairs were made in pairs, (unlike contemporary European sets of eight, ten and twelve) and reflects the Chinese desire for balance and symmetry in room settings. Chairs were reserved for the most important members of a wealthy family and for receiving esteemed guests. Women, due to their subordinate status in Chinese society rarely sat on chairs and were confined to low platforms and stools. Chairs of the 18th and 19th centuries were not upholstered, unlike their western contemporaries, but some do have rattan weaving on the seat. In the homes of high-ranking officials, chairs may have been draped with extravagant and brightly coloured silks. There were several styles established in the Ming period, which were copied throughout the Qing dynasty: There are basically two major families or styles of chair, based on their appearance: square backed chairs and round backed chairs. Round backed chairs These are generally much more comfortable than the straight backed chairs. The square seat remains the same but the back rail offers a continuous support, which slopes downwards supporting the sitter’s back and arms. The finer pieces from the south were exquisitely made by craftsmen as the rounded rear support involved three to five ‘invisibly’ jointed segments of hard wood. These chairs were reserved for important members of the household and for ceremonial occasions. The round curving arms gave the sitter an air of imperial dignity and so it came to be that these chairs were considered as the perfect position for posing for one's portrait! Due to their shape they became known by westerners in China at that period as ‘Horse shoe backed arm chairs’. Vernacular versions of the round-backed chair were larger, more ‘rustic’ in design and were made of willow. The rounded back was made of one piece of willow which was steamed and then bowed to form the horse shoe shape. Due to their rather humble back ground, these more rustic chairs were sometimes referred to as ‘beggars chairs’ In complete contrast the ‘folding round backed chair’ was reserved as ‘a seat for honour’ in official Ming households. They were reserved for the emperor himself or other high ranking imperial officials. They could be folded away when not being used or transported to where ever the important visitor wished to be seated. Folding chairs appear regularly in ancestral portraits, originally designed in the Yuan Dynasty (1260-1368), the design was copied in the Golden Age. Square backed chairs Two of the main types of square backed chairs are ‘Officials Hats Chairs’ and ‘Lamp hanger chairs’ ‘Officials Hats Chairs’ were usually reserved for important visitors in wealthy households. The chairs derived their name from the visual resemblance in the way the crestrails are up-turned at each side with the top rail protruding over the posts to resemble the official’s hats of that period. A relative of this chair is the ‘Southern Officials Hats Chair’ where the top rail does not protrude. ‘Lamp hanger chairs’ come from southern China and were found in more ordinary homes. Their name is derived from the protuberance of the straight top rail, where, as the name suggests, lanterns may have been hung. Tables Tables were used for various activities. Small square tables were used for eating or reading while long tables were used for writing or painting. Throughout the Ming and Qing periods a ‘standard square table’ was present in all households, irrespective of social class. A standard square table had a multi-purpose use in poor family households. Wealthier, educated families had specifically designed tables for different activities such as calligraphy, entertaining or worship. Tables were usually stored against a wall when not in use and for this reason are only decorated on three sides. Tables with decoration on all four sides are extremely unusual. Altar tables were generally tall and rectangular in shape, and occupied a prominent place against a wall in the main living area. Ornaments for burning incense and altar plates with ‘offerings’ were placed on these tables. Above the table paintings or calligraphy scrolls were hung. There is a second category of table, completely different from its later, taller cousin. These date back much earlier and, perhaps, are more familiar to the western perception of the Chinese sitting crossed legged beside a small low table. These are known as ‘Kang’ tables and are small, rectangular and low. They derive their name from the household brick stove, or ’Kang’. Rugs, mats and cushions were placed upon the Kang and this was the preferred living space for the family to sit, eat and sleep especially in the winter months. Like many civilisations, especially amongst poorer people, the kitchen was central point of the home. Kang is extremely important in rural China. When two brothers decide to divide a large family group, the ashes from their communal Kang are divided to symbolically represent the division. Kang tables were low small tables used for taking tea, food preparation and eating. In summer these tables, being small, were taken outside for meals and picnics. Low tables were also used on day beds for taking tea with a guest, informal meals, reading and writing.
2.3 Chinese beds Beds were an important feature of Chinese furniture design, as the Chinese saw no distinction between furniture for sleeping and sitting. This originated from times before chairs emerged in to their culture and low platforms were either lounged upon by one individual or shared by several individuals. Often low tables were place upon these and tea, or meals could be taken. Couch beds and day beds. These were used in formal and semi formal rooms for hosts to sit on and receive guests. They often dominated the man's study and were often used by scholars and other high-ranking males to talk, write, paint and perhaps smoke opium. Couch beds are low with a carved backrest and an arm rest each side. The armrests are slightly lower than the back rests. Day beds were less ornate with just a backrest and no armrests. Southern versions had a rattan scroll pillow at one end, resembling and possibly influencing the European ‘chaise longue’. Conversely, the canopy or ‘alcove’ bed dominated the ladies room. These are usually ornate but depend on the status of the bride’s family as they were often brought to the household by the bride as part of her dowry. They were decorated with rich silk hangings (which also offered privacy) and intricate carving. During the day, the hangings were drawn back, bedding was stored in chests or cabinets and the lady of the house would spend much of time sat on the bed, receiving guests, taking tea or perhaps sewing and embroidery.
19th century Chinese furniture in the 21st century. The elegant, simple and classic lines of the Ming style furniture of the late Qing period is unique in its ability blend serenely with contemporary architecture and interior design. The Asian aesthetic of balance and harmony has taken root in the west once again, especially in the area of modern interior design. The recent fusion style sees the boundaries of time and place disappear; ancient with modern, foreign and familiar, bohemian with colonial. The result is a relaxed contemporary feel, exotic and sophisticated but at the same time serenely simple. The fashionable trend in ‘fusion’ - creates a look of the exotic and tranquillity and is considered as a backbite against the fast, brash ‘throwaway’ lifestyle of modern living. The furniture is indeed functional so it really does have a place in our homes in the 21st century.
Copyright Sarah Keilty - Hitchins Bohoco Ltd. 2002 |