Dignity, sympathy, participation
Direct, sober, unassuming
In furniture, muscular geometry and joinery is developed through gentle swellings of the form that emphasize vitality, giving an impression of directness and frankness. This is complemented and softened by inventive decoration with floral scrolls, single characters and images of birds and plants.
This is applied to a range of settings and among furniture intended for most classes. For the wealthy, hardwoods such as huanghuali (黃花梨) signaled prestige and investment for the long-term. Furniture in such wood could reasonably last several lifetimes. With huanghuali, the grain is complex and lustrous, gradually developing a slight transparency, like a kind of wooden onyx.
In the softwoods, bamboo and rattan of farmers and workers, the shapes were still robust, but the elaboration minimal. The taste for this continues to be seen in rural areas, as in this ensemble from northern Fujian.
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| Detail of square table Huanghuali, Ming period (1368-1644) Private collection | Detail of qin table Huanghuali, Ming period (1368-1644) Private collection | Rural seating Bamboo, contemporary Northern Fujian Photo, 2004 |