Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture

Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture
Author: Sarah Handler
Publsiher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 727
Release: 2023-12-22
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9780520353336

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Chinese classical furniture is esteemed throughout the world for its beauty, functionalism, and influence on contemporary design aesthetics. Sarah Handler's stunningly illustrated volume traces Chinese hardwood furniture from its earliest origins in the Shang dynasty (c. 1500 to c. 1050 B.C.) to the present. She offers a fascinating and poetic view of Chinese furniture as functional sculpture, a fine art alongside the other Chinese arts of calligraphy, architecture, painting, and literature. Handler, a widely respected scholar of Chinese furniture, uses her knowledge of Chinese social, political, and economic history to provide a backdrop for understanding the many nuances of this art form. Drawing on literary and visual evidence from excavated materials, written texts, paintings, prints, and engravings, she discusses how people lived, their notions of hierarchy, and their perceptions of space. Her descriptions of historical developments, such as the shift from mats to chairs, evoke the psychological and sociological ramifications. The invention of a distinctive way to support and contain people and things within the household is one of China's singular contributions, says Handler. With more than three hundred exquisite illustrations, many in color, Handler's comprehensive study reveals "the magical totality of Chinese classical furniture, from its rich surfaces and shrewd proportions down to the austere soul of art that resides in the hardwood interiors." Austere Luminosity recognizes Chinese classical furniture as one of China's premier arts, unique in the furniture traditions of the world.

Ming Furniture in the Light of Chinese Architecture

Ming Furniture in the Light of Chinese Architecture
Author: Sarah Handler
Publsiher: Ten Speed Press
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2005
Genre: Architecture, Chinese
ISBN: UCSD:31822035637115

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This is the first book to place Ming furniture design within the context of Chinese architectural intent. Illustrating spectacular examples of Ming furniture from private and museum collections around the world; construction and function come together in a harmonious and indivisible whole.

Chinese Furniture

Chinese Furniture
Author: Karen Mazurkewich
Publsiher: Tuttle Publishing
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2024-05-14
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 9781462906925

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The international market for antique Chinese furniture is booming, and masterpieces from the Ming and Qing dynasties are now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Chinese Furniture is a survey of these collectibles--from the very best hardwood pieces featured to standard softwood specimens still available on the Asian market. This antique furniture book presents an overview of carving styles, wood types, regional variations, class distinctions and restoration techniques. It includes detailed chapters on various types of wooden furniture cover chairs, stools and benches, tables and desks, beds, cabinets and bookshelves, doors and screens and household accessories. With this renewed interest in antique furniture, a forgery market has emerged. Thousands of factories in southern China are churning out brand new or refurbished furniture and passing them off as Chinese antiques. Chinese Furniture unearths these forgeries and serves as an indispensable reference guide for collectors of antique wood furniture.

Chinese Classical Furniture

Chinese Classical Furniture
Author: Grace Wu Bruce
Publsiher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 104
Release: 1995
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: UOM:39015034523962

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The Ming dynasty was China's golden age, producing much of the nation's finest ceramics, textiles, literature, and paintings. In recent years collectors have also recognized the Ming's achievements in furniture design, particularly intricately shaped, ingeniously engineered hardwood pieceswhich display an elegant sophistication in material and craft. Chinese Classical Furniture provides a richly illustrated introduction to this world of the Ming furniture. After summarizing the history of Chinese furnishings, the author explores the materials used and techniques employed in the construction of Ming chairs, stools, tables, cabinets, stands, andbeds. A full catalogue of the existing styles of each type is provided, together with woodblock illustrations from Ming novels to establish how the furniture was arranged in houses of the time.

Art Market Research

Art Market Research
Author: Tom McNulty
Publsiher: McFarland
Total Pages: 333
Release: 2013-12-19
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9781476613970

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This book is for art market researchers at all levels. A brief overview of the global art market and its major stakeholders precedes an analysis of the various sales venues (auction, commercial gallery, etc.). Library research skills are reviewed, and advanced methods are explored in a chapter devoted to basic market research. Because the monetary value of artwork cannot be established without reference to the aesthetic qualities and art historical significance of our subject works, two substantial chapters detail the processes involved in researching and documenting the fine and decorative arts, respectively, and provide annotated bibliographies. Methods for assigning values for art objects are explored, and sources of price data, both in print and online, are identified and described in detail. In recent years, art historical scholarship increasingly has addressed issues related to the history of art and its markets: a chapter on resources for the historian of the art market offers a wide range of sources. Finally, provenance and art law are discussed, with particular reference to their relevance to dealers, collectors, artists and other art market stakeholders.

Chinese Style

Chinese Style
Author: Sunamita Lim
Publsiher: Gibbs Smith
Total Pages: 172
Release: 2006
Genre: Interior decoration
ISBN: 1423600215

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Take the popular decorating concept of Feng Shui to a whole new level with authentic information on how to create a Chinese aesthetic. Learn how to alleviate clutter and increase the flow of chi, the universal life force; discover ways of integrating Chinese furniture and decorative arts to decorating styles; and stroll through a rich collection of images from homes, museums, and galleries.

The Great Wonders of China

The Great Wonders of China
Author: Jonathan Fenby
Publsiher: Thames & Hudson
Total Pages: 423
Release: 2024-06-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780500779347

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The magnificent wonders of China, ancient and modern, revealed by an international team of leading scholars. China is the oldest continuous civilization on earth and holds a unique global place in the twenty-first century. The Great Wonders of China’s wide focus shows what makes China such a special country, with topics stretching from the natural wonders, including mountains and rivers, to the Silk Road; the technological innovations of printing and the compass; and the modern, vibrant cities of today as well as famous monuments, such as the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Great Wall. In this new and updated paperback edition, a team of leading scholars from Asia and the West provide a compelling history of China. Beyond the quality of the individual entries, The Great Wonders of China provides a chronicle of Chinese history and culture as well as helping readers understand and appreciate this vast country.

Nordic Private Collections of Chinese Objects

Nordic Private Collections of Chinese Objects
Author: Minna Törmä
Publsiher: Routledge
Total Pages: 189
Release: 2020-05-27
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9780429786808

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This book explores the ways in which Nordic private collectors displayed their collections of Chinese objects in their homes. This leads to a reconsideration of how to define collecting and display by analysing the difference between objects serving as decorative or collectible items, while tracing collecting and display trends of the twentieth century. Minna Törmä examines four Scandinavian collections as case studies: Kustaa Hiekka, Sophus Black, Osvald Sirén and Marie-Louise and Gunnar Didrichsen, all of whom had professional backgrounds (a jeweler, two businessmen and a scholar) and for whom collecting became a passion and an educational endeavour. This book will be of interest to scholars in art history, museum studies, Chinese studies and design history.