Grandeur and gaudiness of the Qing furniture

Furniture produced during the early Qing Dynasty followed Ming styles and continued to display simple lines. However a change in style gradually appeared in the early 18th century, and Qing furniture showed its uniqueness in larger sizes and overly ornate carvings.

Furniture became more elaborate. Straight lines, simple designs gave way to elaborately carved decorations. But it was by no means garish. Engraving and color painting were popular and important means of decorating furniture. The backrest, arms, and legs of chairs were often carved with different patterns. A refined screen panel might have taken ten skillful craftsmen up to several months to complete.

Though superb in craftsmanship, Qing furniture sacrificed comfort, designed merely to please the eye. The Imperial "Dragon Chair" was good evidence of this. With the armchairs and the backrest at right angles, the vast chair looks rigid and uncomfortable. It became a symbol of imperial power when the emperor was sitting high on the chair presiding over a court meeting. At this, it was more of a hierarchical symbol than a practical furniture item.

Decorative motifs

Some auspicious patterns were frequently used to decorate Ming and Qing furniture. Dragons and phoenixes were considered an extremely auspicious decorative design, symbolizing good luck. Bats and happiness are both pronounced fu, therefore bats stand for happiness; the peony represents wealth; the lotus and Lingzhi, a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, are both symbols of good luck; geometric patterns were often carved, typically a swastika, or "Wan Zi" in Chinese. In Sanskrit, the swastika represents well-being and in Buddhism, it stands for prosperity and good fortune.

A wide variety

Ming and Qing furniture has a wide variety of items, mainly including chairs, tables, beds, cabinets, and screen panels.

Chairs

Sitting on the floor was common in China well into the 10th century. In the Ming Dynasty chairs became an increasingly common furniture item. Curving chairs, folding chairs, and the throne are among the best known of Ming and Qing chairs.

Curving chairs

This chair is not only designed to please the eye, but also to increase comfort. Made to support the elbows as well as the upper arms, the elegant curving arms and backrest are by no means inconvenient.