Chinese furniture design had been
improved through the centuries, maturing during the 14th century. The
Qing furniture developed from Ming style furniture; it was attractive
with ornate novel decorative elements. In the olden days of China, those
who had resources could afford to live in a gracious residence such as
the four-closed courtyard house (siheyuan). The four-closed
courtyard house is the Chinese art of enclosing space to create an ideal
environment for habitation. The multifunctional Chinese classical
furniture facilitates the indoor and outdoor activities of its
inhabitants. Siheyuan is divided into chambers such as the Hall, female chamber etc.


This
book provides details on which pieces of furniture should be displayed
in each chamber, as well as full-colour illustrations and diagrams of
how each piece was made and assembled. This includes three-dimensional
drawings by Philip Mak and perspective views of the interior of various
rooms. The author guides the readers through them, narrating the
placement of furniture with inherent social implications. For easy
reference, each piece is numbered and a more detailed description
available in the catalogue section of this book.


Text in English and Chinese.