The 3000-year history of changes in Chinese furniture

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The history of furniture is the history of changes in life and times. What changes have Chinese furniture undergone since the last three thousand years? Furniture people, do you know?

1. Furniture of Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties: 16th century BC to 249 BC

In the Paleolithic period, there was no fixed place. By the sunrise in the Neolithic period, our ancestors were finally able to settle down. However, the living conditions at that time were extremely rudimentary. Due to the low and small houses, the traditional way of sitting on the floor was born and continued for thousands of years.

When the wooden structure emerges from the original burrowing life of human beings, the furniture has been newly developed. In the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, China performed a slavery society and a splendid bronze culture.

In the bronze wares of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, bronze ceremonies like Ji, Ling, and Ban can be seen as the mother images of furniture, tables, tables, boxes, and cabinets in later generations. Bronze furniture of this period is characterized by simple and solid, mysterious and majestic, and the decorative patterns and patterns mainly based on gluttonous patterns, cicada patterns, and cloud patterns are also powerful and dignified.

The three generations of seats are only seats and feasts. They are developed on the basis of the original seat art. They are woven with bamboo strips. They are skilled in technology and have innovative patterns. Some are woven with brocades or mixed with different colors. .

2. Qin and Han Furniture: 221 BC to 220 AD

Until the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the continuous improvement of productivity has promoted the development of the handicraft industry. The lacquering process has reached a considerable level, and lacquered wood furniture has begun to appear. At that time, bamboo mats, beds, tables, cases, screens, boxes, and other low-profile lacquered wood furniture were colorful, with black as the background, and red, yellow and other colors. They were decorated with a continuous pattern of embossed squares, simple and simple. Gorgeous.

In the Qin and Han Dynasties, the types of furniture were developed into beds, couches, tables, cases, screens, cabinets, boxes and hangers on the basis of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. But because of the sitting on the floor, the table, the hanger, the sleeping bed and the couch are very short, and the bed is mostly used for leaning during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period;

From the Han Dynasty to the Han Dynasty, they were mostly placed in front of the bed or on the side of the couch. The desk surface gradually widened and lengthened; the screen was two-sided or three-sided and placed on the back and side of the bed. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the Hu bed was also transferred from the Western Region to the Central Plains. People's living style changed from sitting on the floor to living style with a bed as the center. The variety and style of furniture also evolved from low to high furniture.

3. Furniture of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties: 220-581 AD

During the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, due to the struggle for power within the ruling class, warlords continued to fight, but it also promoted the exchange and integration of culture and art among various nationalities and denominations, and at the same time made the furniture of various nationalities mutually in shape and function Penetrate and absorb.

3.1 Development of high-profile furniture:

As the ethnic minorities in the Northwest successively entered the Central Plains, it objectively led to the integration of many ethnic groups. Hu bed, chairs, square stools, round pier and other high-seat seating areas were introduced into the minority areas and merged with the Central Plains furniture, making some areas appear. The gradually-increasing furniture laid the foundation for the coexistence of the sitting and sitting style of the Sui and Tang Dynasties and the Five Dynasties. During this period, various types of tall seats appeared, such as armchairs and square stools. Beds and collapses also began to increase in height. Some upper parts were also set up to raise dust, and four sides were surrounded by removable low screens. The lower part Mostly decorated with slam doors. In addition to a bed for leaning on the bed, there is also a sacrificial sac for padding and a bed for leaning when sitting.

3.2 Decoration style:

Lacquered wood furniture is decorated with green lacquer. The deep green background breaks the traditional pattern of red and black colors of traditional lacquered wood furniture. The theme of furniture decoration also reflects the view of the universe and strong religious colors at that time. Decorative patterns related to Buddhism such as lotus pattern, honeysuckle pattern, curly grass pattern, flame pattern, flying pattern, etc.

4. Furniture of the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties: 581 to 960 AD

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties and the Five Dynasties, with the political stability, the development of China's early feudal society reached its peak. At that time, the handicraft industry was developed, the social economy was prosperous, and artistic forms such as poetry, painting, calligraphy, music and dance were rich and colorful. The increasing maturity of construction technology has promoted the transformation of furniture shapes and the further development of types.

Under the influence of foreign cultures represented by Buddhism, the method of "sitting on the floor" to "sitting on the foot" gradually spread from the upper class to the civilian population, and a combination of high and low furniture appeared. During this period, the new high-leg furniture represented by tables, chairs and stools gradually replaced the central position of the bed.

Through "Wan Fan's Lady Picture" and "Han Xizai Night Banquet Picture" we found that the circle chair and official hat chair have already appeared in this period.

The furniture of the Sui and Tang dynasties still had the characteristics of low-profile, showing a trend of developing from low-profile to high-profile. The Sui Dynasty (581 ~ 618) had very few furniture in existence, and the furniture was low in shape. In the Tang Dynasty (618 ~ 907), high-type furniture has appeared, and the furniture manufacturing process has entered a new historical stage, reflecting the gorgeous and gorgeous characteristics.

The name of the chair was first seen in the Tang Dynasty. After the Tang Dynasty, the use of the chair gradually increased, and the name of the chair was also widely used, separated from the category of bed.

4.1 Modeling features:

Tang Dynasty furniture is full and gorgeous, generous and heavy. The legs of the furniture are shaped with large outward curves, showing a strong momentum, and decorated with delicately carved patterns.

4.2 Decorative features:

In order to pursue the gorgeous artistic effect, the furniture uses a variety of decorative techniques such as snails, gold and silver painting, painted paint, painted carving, flat gold and silver, wood painting, etc., which has changed the predominant animal theme pattern; the use of flowers, grass The plant patterns, various bird patterns, and landscape patterns decorate the furniture, which is full of a strong sense of life.

During the Five Dynasties period, the “sit down and sit” lifestyle became popular, and high-type furniture began to mature, and gradually formed a more complete high-type furniture combination.

4.3 Furniture category:

Couch: Developed from the Han Couch, it is wider than the Tang Couch, sometimes with a screen, and has a box-shaped structure.

Chairs, piers: There are more types of chairs, such as back chairs, circle chairs, etc., and some back chairs are also connected with armrests. At this point the drum-style pouf began to appear.

Table and case: the table is long, there are cross bars between the legs and feet, the table and the legs are decorated with dental plates; the case is long, taller than the Tang Dynasty, the side of the case is framed, and the middle panel , The legs are treated with straight lines, plain or decorated with wishful moire, simple and simple.

Screen: The screen is tall and tall, with independent seat screen, large curved screen, large bed with screen and other styles.

4.4 Decoration style:

During the Five Dynasties period, with the change of social aesthetics, the furniture style changed from the Huayan, thick and rounded style of Tang Dynasty furniture to simple and simple, which laid the foundation for the Song Dynasty furniture to form a concise style.

5. Song Yuan Furniture: 960 AD to 1368 AD

Since the establishment of the Song Dynasty by Zhao Kuangyin in 960 AD, agriculture, handicrafts, architecture and science and technology have developed rapidly, the city has continued to expand, and there have been many projects such as palaces, pavilions and gardens. By the two Song dynasties (960-1279), the living habit of "sitting on the feet" gradually became popular, and a living pattern centered on tables, chairs, and stools was formed during this period.

Affected by the high-type furniture in the Song Dynasty, the furniture of Liao Dynasty (916-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) also showed a trend of high-type furniture. In the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the furniture styling and craftsmanship were influenced by the Mongolian advocating military force, and the body was thick and majestic, and the carvings were colorful and magnificent. The development of Song and Yuan furniture laid a solid foundation for the Ming and Qing furniture to the peak of Chinese furniture art, both "humanities" and "technology".

5.1 Structural form:

The furniture of the Song Dynasty used the beam and frame structure of the building for reference, and replaced the box-shaped sluice gate structure that prevailed in the Sui and Tang Dynasties with a beam-column frame structure. In the production, various decorative forms such as girdle, horseshoe, grasshopper legs, Yunxing feet, lotus support, etc. have been used; at the same time, various structural components such as Luoguo huo, dwarf, bawang huo, support mud, horseshoe feet and so on are used. The furniture structure is more reasonable.

5.2 Artistic style:

Most of the furniture parts are connected by straight tenon and mortise, simple and neat. The shape is mostly square, with beautiful proportions. There is no large-scale engraving on the decoration, only a partial decorative simple portrayal on the legs and legs, which is simple and elegant. The view of furniture in the Song Dynasty is concise and straight from the outside, and the view from the inside is timeless, and its simple and elegant artistic style is consistent with the simple and simple aesthetic view of the Song people.

6. Ming and Qing furniture: Ming 1368 ～ 1644, Qing 1644 ～ 1911

The development of Chinese furniture has gone through a gradual process of being simple and prosperous, combining practicality with ornamentation, and finally reached the peak of Chinese traditional furniture art in the Ming and Qing furniture period. At that time, the arts and crafts showed a splendid and splendid glory. In this situation, the furniture manufacturing process has been unprecedentedly prosperous, forming the style of "Ming style furniture" and "Qing style furniture".

6.1 Style characteristics of Ming-style furniture:

Due to the social and political stability of the Ming Dynasty, the economic development, the rise of garden houses, the import of a large number of precious woods in Southeast Asia and other places, the improvement of woodwork technology, and the participation of a large number of literati in the design, the Ming Dynasty furniture exhibited a "rigorous structure, simple and smooth lines , Exquisite workmanship, elegant and elegant design, scientific and reasonable size and proportion "and other characteristics, this period of hardwood furniture mainly made of rosewood, rosewood, iron wood, chicken wing wood and other precious wood, the style is called" Ming style. " Ming-style furniture continued until the mid-Qing period and was replaced by Qing-style furniture that was “fancy, luxurious, and rich and rich”. Therefore, Ming-style furniture also included Qing Dynasty furniture made in the early Qing Dynasty.

6.2 Structural characteristics of Ming-style furniture:

Ming-style furniture can be divided into two systems: "with waist" and "without waist". The most notable feature of the waist structure is the concave part that shrinks inwards between the seat surface and the legs. This part is the "waist". The legs and legs are mostly made of square materials, and the legs are not directly landed, but the horseshoes are turned inward or outward Horseshoe. The "no waist" structure is characterized by no indentation. The legs and legs are mostly made of round materials or the inner side of the outer circle. The legs do not make any turning, but fall straight.

The furniture of the Ming Dynasty has undergone centuries of change, and it is still very strong today. In addition to the specific conditions of high-quality wood, it is mainly the precision and scientific rationality of the tenon-mortise structure.

6.3 Modeling characteristics of Ming-style furniture:

Appropriate scales, exquisite proportions; well-balanced, steady and straight; mainly line, round and smooth; elegant and elegant, exquisite details. The famous scholar Ming Shi furniture expert Mr. Wang Shixiang used the "sixteen grades" to evaluate the style characteristics of Ming furniture, saying: "Simple, honest, thick, dignified, majestic, majestic, mellow, Shen Mu, rich, Wen Qi, Yan Beautiful, strong, gentle, ethereal, exquisite, elegant and fresh. "

6.4 Ming-style furniture decoration features:

The design of Ming-style furniture has a temperament of elegant elegance due to the participation of a large number of literati. On the one hand, the Ming-style furniture makes full use of the natural texture of high-quality wood, and shows an artistic style of “water is out of the hibiscus, and the natural de-carving”; Round and skillful, no traces; on the other hand, the two functions of furniture parts structure and decoration are integrated, and the decoration of hardware is also enhanced, and practicality and aesthetics are perfectly integrated.

6.5 Qing style furniture

It refers to furniture with typical Qing style arts and crafts that appeared in the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, prevailed during the Qianlong period, and stagnate in the middle and late Qing Dynasty. Another characteristic of the development of Qing-style furniture is the formation of different regional characteristics. According to its origin and style, it can be divided into three systems: "Su-style furniture, Cantonese furniture, and Beijing-style furniture."

6.6 Style characteristics of Qing style furniture:

The furniture of the early Qing Dynasty was in a state of following the traditional style of the Ming Dynasty. But since the middle of the Qing Dynasty, due to the efforts of Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong and other generations of emperors, the famous "Kang Qian flourishing world" appeared in history. During this period, the royal family and the noble gardens were striving for beauty, and began to endlessly pursue the production of delicate and novel court furniture;

At the same time, the Western Baroque and Rococo arts and utensils culture, including its architecture and furniture decoration, had an important impact on the development of furniture in the Qing Dynasty; coupled with the opening of the sea ban, precious wood and decorative materials for the production of furniture were continuously shipped overseas Enter China.

Therefore, the ruling class tried their best to show their majesty, luxury, and richness in the shape of furniture. They began to abandon the simplicity, lightness, and Wenxiu characteristics of Ming-style furniture, and blindly pursued the thick and complicated. The furniture style comes into being.

6.7 Features of Qing-style furniture materials:

The materials used in the Qing style furniture are more abundant than the Ming style, and the materials are thick and thick. In addition to the precious hardwood, high-quality softwood is also used; There are also elm, camphor, oak, walnut, birch, fir and other materials.

6.8 Qing-style furniture decoration features:

The decoration materials are mainly marble, ivory, snail, glass, agate, cloisonne, bamboo and willow silk. The decoration technique uses a combination of carving, inlaying, painting, painting, and other craftsmanship, reflecting the style of grace and elegance. Decorative patterns widely use auspicious patterns such as dragon and phoenix patterns, cloud patterns, ridge patterns, fish patterns, plum orchid bamboo and chrysanthemum patterns, passion flower patterns, and landscape figures, or a combination of a variety of pattern patterns, which means good.

Seven, the Republic of China: AD 1912 ~ 1949

After the establishment of the National Government in 1912, the spread of Western ideas and science and technology in China has promoted social changes in China and changes in lifestyle such as clothing, food, housing and transportation.

However, under the strong impact of foreign colonial culture, Western lifestyles have become popular in Shanghai and other open cities. The Ming and Qing furniture represented by the Soviet style, Cantonese style and Beijing style have gradually declined, and the situation of the unification of traditional Chinese style furniture has been broken. Western furniture has also gained a place in ancient China. During this period, the palace furniture entered the folk market, making the palace furniture folk and high-end furniture popular.

Chinese traditional furniture has undergone fundamental changes in terms of furniture category, style, materials and structure, craftsmanship, etc. These changes are reflected in the “Shanghai School” furniture prevailing at that time, and a professional division of labor has initially formed. These changes The emergence of professional division of labor indicates that Chinese furniture is beginning to be in line with the world, and reflects the germination of China's modern furniture industry.

7.1 Changes in materials and processes:

In the 1920s, Shanghai used plywood instead of solid wood veneer for the first time in China, which played a positive role in improving product structure and production efficiency; in the 1930s, soft mattress production technology was introduced in the West; in the 1940s, the most popular furniture paint insects in the West were introduced. Glue paint (primer) and nitro paint (lacquer, topcoat) finishing process, and nitro varnish finishing process.

7.2 Style features:

On the basis of inheriting the furniture styles of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, new styles have emerged in the Republic of China. On the one hand, they are simplified in the form of traditional Chinese furniture decoration, and from high-grade mahogany materials to ordinary "white wood" materials. On the other hand, the specific area of ​​the Republic of China has increased and the style absorbs the decorative style of Western furniture. It adopts the "Made in Western style" technique, with strong carvings and beautiful curves. A large number of colored glass and mercury-plated glass mirrors are used in furniture. The engraving and decoration of Passiflora patterns such as the weeping mantle and the spike pattern have appeared the legs of Queen Anne, Louis XIV, and the foot styles of horseshoe and animal claws;

Western-style copper ornaments are widely used in furniture. Among them, some European-style copper drop handles are complicated and fancy. The sofas are mostly decorated with leather and Western-style fabrics. The top of the cabinet furniture structure Separate from the base, "wear boots" style.

8. Modern and modern furniture: 1960 to present

During the Cultural Revolution, Chinese society experienced turmoil due to the "Cultural Revolution". Normal socio-economic activities and industrial production have been damaged to varying degrees, leading to the stagnation of furniture production and the serious shortage of market supply. In the late 1970s, China was full of waste after the Cultural Revolution, and furniture, as a necessity of people's lives, was highly valued by the government and began to embark on the road of normal development.

The Chinese furniture from the 1960s to 1970s was isolated from the outside world, so it has been exploring a Chinese style with obvious traces of the times that meets the basic needs of life at that time.

The civilian furniture of this period is still a continuation of Shanghai style furniture in terms of variety and style. The large wardrobe, five-drawer cabinet, Western-style screen bed, etc. are the simplification of Shanghai style furniture. Its biggest feature is the concept of a set. Each set of furniture includes bed, bedside cabinets, large wardrobes, five-drawer cabinets, dressing tables, dressing stools and other bedroom furniture. Sometimes it also includes dining tables, dining chairs or dining stools, a set of furniture 9 pieces of 36 legs, "36 legs" became the most popular furniture fashion at that time.

In the era of material shortage of the Cultural Revolution, the decoration of furniture can only be relatively rudimentary, and the traditional decorative arts such as carving and inlaying are almost extinct. The most important form of decoration is the combination of functional parts, such as line, leg, foot and veneer. technique.

The 1980s was the initial stage of the development of China's modern furniture industry. During this period, the composition, furniture materials, product structure, product style and production technology of the Chinese furniture industry have undergone fundamental changes.

8.1 Furniture structure and raw materials:

The structural form of Chinese furniture has been a traditional frame structure in the 1960s and 1970s. The 32mm system panel furniture introduced by foreign-funded furniture companies has brought a new concept of panel furniture and brought new technologies to Chinese furniture companies. Brought a revolution.

In terms of materials, chip components and chipboards are used as the base material. The surface is usually covered with melamine impregnated paper, and the edges are edged with PVC edge banding, which saves the coating process; 32mm system disassembly and assembly structure Replacing the tenon-and-mortise structure and replacing the entire furniture packaging and transportation with component packaging and transportation have greatly reduced furniture production costs, greatly improved furniture production efficiency, and also promoted the improvement of the industrialization level of Chinese furniture enterprises.

8.2 Furniture features:

Before the 1980s, Chinese furniture was still a single set of furniture. After the introduction of panel furniture in the Chinese furniture market, the brand-new concept, concise form and industrial color decoration immediately became popular as a symbol of modernity and fashion.

In the mid-to-late 1980s, combined furniture appeared in China. The concept of combination is to combine single pieces of furniture with different functions, different specifications and different shapes according to a certain standard modulus to make it a whole, fully functional and make full use of the interior. space. The combined furniture at that time mainly consisted of multifunctional combined cabinets for living rooms, combined bookcases and file cabinets, combined bedroom furniture, etc. Combination furniture is the mainstream product in the Chinese furniture market in the mid-to-late 1980s.

Since the 1990s, China ’s huge furniture consumer market and low-cost labor market have attracted furniture companies and businesses in Italy, France, the United States, and Taiwan and Hong Kong. They have come to mainland China to invest in and set up furniture factories and furniture stores. This industry transfer has greatly promoted the progress of China's furniture industry in design, production, craftsmanship, quality, sales and international trade. It has accelerated the pace of internationalization of the domestic market, driven the export of Chinese furniture, and promoted China The rapid and comprehensive development of the furniture industry. This period is the initial formation period of China's modern furniture system.

8.3 Furniture features:

The popularity of polyester furniture: "Polyester" furniture, which was popular in China in the early 1990s, does not mean that the furniture is made of polyester resin materials, but the black background color is first applied to the panel components based on particle board. Then, apply a thick layer of transparent polyester paint, the product film is plump and radiant; later, on the surface of the black polyester paint, it will be decorated with colored patterns such as "Symphony" and "Pearl Flower". Extend the life cycle of polyester furniture.

Innovations in traditional Chinese furniture: In the late 1990s, Chinese traditional hardwood furniture companies started new explorations in response to market challenges. They kept pace with the times, changed the form of traditional furniture, simplified traditional decoration, and introduced ergonomics. The principle of increasing the fashion function and improving the cushion of the seat, has created a brand new "new Chinese furniture style" that adapts to the modern lifestyle.

8.4 New Chinese style furniture:

Chinese-style furniture makes people feel the elegance of life with its natural texture, the combination of rigorous and close seams, cleverly conceived structural technology, high-income production technology, and the precious artistic connotation and artistic character. However, Chinese furniture is not accepted by everyone. Some people think that it is well-formed, old-fashioned, cumbersome in carving, old in color, and beautiful in beauty, but lacks the necessary ease in modern life;

On the other hand, many traditional Chinese furniture attaches importance to traditional etiquette and cannot fit the body curve in shape. The appearance of the new Chinese furniture, which is in line with the traditional Chinese furniture, can meet the functional needs of consumers. The new Chinese style's abandonment of the Chinese style can be said to be the interpretation of the traditional Chinese style in the context of the current era. It is not pure Chinese. The stacking of elements, but through the combination of traditional culture and traditional elements, to create a home style with the use and aesthetic needs of modern people.

Nine, furniture trends (AD 1960-present)

Throughout the history of furniture development, the styles of different furniture in the world are different in each period, and they continue to develop and change in their own history. With the deepening of cultural exchanges between regions, the boundaries between designs are getting more and more Vagueness, mutual penetration between various cultures. With the progress of the times and the development of culture, people's thoughts are changing with each passing day, all kinds of novel ideas continue, and the design style will also develop towards diversity.

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