Chinese Domestic Furniture
in Photographs and Measured Drawings
by Gustav Ecke
Softcover
210 x 285mm
161pp
Published
by Dover Publications, Mineola, NY USA
R.R.P.$39.90
ISBN 0-486-25171-3
Extract from back cover of book:
To comprehend the life of a civilized people one must know something of its household furniture and the setting for its daily living. George N. Kates, Chinese Household Furniture
Westerners have long admired Chinese furniture for its durability, inner strength, quiet restraint and simple dignity. Especially attractive to the educated eye are its purity of line, devotion to detail and flawless construction. This unabridged reprint of a rare classic provides lovers of Chinese furniture with an enlightened discussion of the accomplishments achieved by fine craftsmen over the centuries, including: the aesthetic levels attained during the early Shang period (1766-1123 s.c.), the transitional phase of cabinetmaking during the Yuan Dynasty (1280-1368 A.D.) and the perfection in craftsmanship reached during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). The text also reviews the origins and development of basic forms and methods of construction from the selection of wood to its processing, cutting, joining, ornamentation and final polishing.
Long considered the definitive work on Chinese hardwood furniture in a Western language, this indispensable guide contains 161 superb plates that include photographs and drawings of tables, chairs, couches, cabinets, cupboards and ward- robes. There are also measured drawings for 21 exquisitely crafted pieces for woodworkers interested in creating authentic Chinese furniture.
When the first edition of this volume was published in 1944 in Peking, only 200 copies were printed. Today, each of the few remaining originals is worth several thousands of dollars. Now available in a handsome and affordable reprint edition, this volume is a unique addition to the libraries of woodworkers, art lovers and anyone interested in Chinese culture and decor.
Photos and Illustrations: Black & White
Units of Measurement: Metric
Contents
Original Chinese title
Publisher's
Note, 1986
Acknowledgments
List of Plates (general groupings)
Introduction
Preliminary
The Box Construction and its Platform Derivatives
The Yoke Rack and Kindred Platform Devices
Trestle Combinations
The Seat
Splay Leg Cabinets and Related Designs
Square Cases
Cabinet Woods
Metal Mounts
Craftsmanship - Ornament - Dating
Cabinet Making after Yuan - Rise and Decline
Conclusion
Bibliography
Note
(on furniture terminology)
List of Pieces (detailed descriptions)
Original
Chinese colophon
Plates 1 through 161