Appreciation of Ming and Qing Furniture

Author: Pu Anquan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: China is one of the four great ancient civilizations in the world. The Chinese nation, throughout its thousands of years of history, has evolved from sitting on the ground to sitting on low couches, and later to the lifestyle of standing with feet on the floor. Ancient Chinese furniture, in its continuous evolution, has presented various historical forms. Especially after the transformations during the Tang and Song dynasties, it rapidly developed to its historical peak in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Ming and Qing furniture gradually became an internationally renowned artistic treasure, reflecting unparalleled artistic brilliance and unique cultural charm. On a global scale, Western furniture types have long maintained a form characterized by block-like structures. In contrast, Chinese Ming and Qing furniture, with its Eastern frame-style structure, demonstrated its national identity and diverse cultural origins. Scientifically rational, robust, skillfully crafted, and exquisitely beautiful, Chinese Ming and Qing furniture achieved outstanding accomplishments in the history of ancient world furniture, bringing eternal and immense wealth and resources to human civilization. Especially the internationally acclaimed Ming-style furniture continues to inspire people with the appeal of advanced culture. For hundreds of years, Western furniture has taken on new forms through multiple influences from Chinese furniture. Particularly, the progressive and innovative design concepts of Ming and Qing furniture, along with its rational and scientific principles, have been included in the great classics of world civilization. Appreciation always involves both admiration and identification. For example, distinguishing between Ming and Qing furniture primarily falls under the category of identification; determining whether a piece of furniture was made in Suzhou, Guangdong, or Beijing also requires careful discernment. On the other hand, evaluating the style of a piece of furniture or judging its quality falls more into the realm of admiration. Additionally, in practice, due to differences in the professionalism, knowledge, and motivations of appraisers, as well as the influence of many other complex factors, the process of appreciation often varies from person to person, leading to the situation where "the wise see wisdom, and the benevolent see benevolence." Between identification and admiration, it is like the two sides of a coin, inseparable. One must integrate both aspects to speak with reason and establish a solid foundation for judgment. People's appreciation of furniture or antiques may stem from personal interest or professional work. Whether driven by passion, job, or research, if conclusions are shared with society—through words, articles, or published works—they will have a certain impact and should be held accountable to history and culture. If others have differing opinions or completely opposite views and offer criticism, one should adopt a correct attitude and respond appropriately. Only through discussion and mutual learning can everyone improve. To pursue truth, one should be humble and establish a scientific perspective, uphold what is correct, correct what is wrong, and continuously contribute to building the grand structure of modern Chinese civilization. Based on the above discussion, the appreciation of Ming and Qing furniture in this book strives to focus on multiple perspectives and employ diverse approaches—whether through summaries or case studies—with careful consideration. Some of the content has been previously published and has gained recognition from readers. It is included here not only to enrich the material but also to illustrate the author's consistent understanding gained through exploration.