Ming Dynasty Style Furniture

Furniture is both a daily necessity and a handicraft. Lacquerware wooden beds appeared early in the Warring States Period . They were very low with handrails on all sides. Furniture was popularized in the Song Dynasty, but the most refined and beautiful of ancient Chinese furniture was made in the Ming Dynasty. The craftsmen took from Song Dynasty furniture traditions and formed the Ming Dynasty style of furniture with its own characteristics.

An important feature of Ming Dynasty furniture is that the items are beautifully shaped. The furniture is light and simple and conveys a sense of stability. The size and proportion of the different parts adhere to aesthetic principles but take practical use into consideration. The decorations are mainly engraved lines and small areas of circular carving and through carving. There may, however, also be wood, ivory and diamond inlays in the design of landscapes, flowers and birds or small bronze and silver ornamentation. The refined ornamentation in small areas form a strong contrast with the furniture's overall clean and simple appearance. The line of the edges of the piece is shaped in different lengths and widths depending on the grain of the timber to create a true and harmonious effect, so that the piece looks natural and balanced.

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