Category: Chinese customs

Some of the earliest Chinese furniture was made from common bamboo. However, the use of hardwood or lacquered softwood to simulate the construction of bamboo furniture was popularized during the transitional 17th century, and likely entered into the mainstream during the Qing dynasty when the imitation of materials and finishes was practiced throughout the decorative arts.

Low platforms, which were used as honorific seats, were the earliest type of raised seating furniture to appear in China. Sitting platforms were called ta; the relatively longer chuang was used both for sitting and reclining. By the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), the platform had increased in height with decorative panels or kunmen-shaped openings decorating the sides.

Corner-leg construction can be divided into 'waisted' and 'simianping' (literally flush-sided) styles. The corner-leg form is self-descriptive with legs generally set flush to the corners of the top frame. The legs can be of straight, c-curved, or cabriole style; they typically terminate with some a horsehoof or variation of ruyi -shaped motif, animal claws, or scrolled foot.

在林林总总的笔类制品中，毛笔算是中国独有的品类。传统的毛笔不但是古人必备的文房用具，而且在表达中华书法、绘画的特殊韵味上具有与众不同的魅力。
Of the various writing and painting instruments, the writing brush is unique to China. Traditional writing brushes were not only an everyday necessity for ancient people of literature in their studies, but also has the unique charms in expressing the special style of Chinese calligraphy and paintings.
毛笔的制造历史非常久远，早在战国时，毛笔的使用已相当地发达。
During the Warring States period, writing brushes were widely used for writing and painting.
中国的书法和绘画，都是与毛笔的使用分不开的。古代毛笔的品种较多，从笔毫的原料上来分，就曾有兔毛、羊毛、马毛、鹿毛、鸡毛、人须、茅草等。从性能上分，则有硬毫、软毫、兼毫。从笔的用途来分，有山水笔、花卉笔、叶筋笔、人物笔、衣纹笔、设骨笔、彩色笔等。
China’s calligraphic and painting works wouldn’t exist without the writing brush. In ancient China, writing brushes have many varieties: brushes of rabbit hair, wool, horse hair, deer hair, feather, man’s beard hair and grass. There are hard hair, soft hair and half-hard and half-soft hair brushes. In terms of use, writing brushes consist of brushes for painting mountains and water, flowers, leaf veins, portraits, fabric textures, color adjustment and color arrangements.
Words:
书法shūfǎ:calligraphy;

The practical and minimalistic 'recessed-leg' form was established by the Song dynasty and continued to be reproduced throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. This basic construction pattern, which was closely related to traditional post-and-beam architecture, was commonly applied to the creation of stools, chairs, tables and cabinets.

The 'frame-and-panel' evolved as a more efficient use of material, and is typical of most panels in Chinese furniture, whether tabletop, door, or cabinet panel. The frame is joined with mitered, mortise-and-tenon joints. A groove is cut around the upper, inside edge of the frame, while the panel is shaped with a corresponding tongue around its outside edge.

Soft, woven seats were traditional to Ming and early Qing furniture, although the use of hard seat panels is occasionally noted in early examples. Aside from its pliable support, the airiness of the woven bed frame was especially comfortable during the hot summer seasons. With regard to chairs, the customary use of woven seats gives way to increasing use of hard-panel seats during the 18th and 19th centuries, and old soft seats were also occasionally replaced with maintenance-free hard panels during this period.