What are the categories of ancient Chinese chairs

Anciently sitting on the ground, there was no chair. "Poetry" in the "chair" sentence, "chair" that is "zi", is the name of a tree. According to evidence, the emergence of the chair, at the latest in the Sui and Tang dynasties, when the chair is also known as "leaning". Gansu Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in the Tang Dynasty murals have high chair. To the five generations and the two Song dynasty, the use of chairs continue to increase, varieties gradually rich. Now we see in the art collection market chair, mostly since the Ming and Qing dynasties. Ming and Qing dynasties, the structure of the chair is further improved, mainly by the chair surface, back, hitch brain, armrests, help to say, support mud and other parts of the composition. Types are further enriched, can be divided into two main categories, one is a single back chair, such as: a unity monument, lamp hanging chair, comb back chair, pen stalk chair, screen back chair. Another category is the armchair, like the official chair, rose chair, circle chair, chair, tutor chair, hexagonal chair, seat, throne and so on. Numerous chair styles, rich in distinctive historical features, is a typical representative of the national form of furniture in China.

YiTongBei: the ancient name of a single back, no armrests of the chair. Its main feature is the chair back and the chair surface at right angles to each other, the chair back up and down the same width, the hitching brain at both ends does not come out of the head. Known as a monument is said to be shaped like a stone tablet. Southern provinces also known as "single leaning".

Ming style backrest chair: no armchairs are backrest chairs, backrest chair modeling changes are mainly "hitching brain" and "back" of the different, there are many styles. For example, wider than the back of the lamp hanging chair chair called "a unified monument" chair, like a stone tablet, the southern folk also known as "single leaning".

Light-hanging chair: one of the backrest chair style, the two ends of the hitching brain out, very much like the rural bamboo oil lamps in the south of the countryside and the name of the beam.

Comb Chair: one of the back chair style, because the chair's backrest using round stems evenly arranged and named.

Screen back chair: one of the back chair style, because the back of the chair is made into a screen type and named, there are common "single screen back" and "three screen type" and so on.

Light hanging chair, is a style of single-backed chair, the hitching brain at both ends of the pick, due to the style of the rural bamboo lamps like Jiangnan oil beam and named.

Comb back chair: the back part of the chair with a round stem evenly arranged in a single back chair, because of its back is shaped like a comb, so it is named.

Pen stems chair: is the back of the backrest chair backboard into a number of round stems arranged and become. In the art collection market, collectors often confuse the chair and comb back chair. In fact, the back of the comb back chair back stalks are evenly arranged, while the pen stalk chair has a false back part, no back stalks.

Screen back chair: refers to the back made of screen type single back chair. Commonly, there is a "single screen back" and "triple screen back" and so on, is a typical style of Ming furniture.

Armchair: refers to the backrest and with both sides of the armrests in addition to the throne, chair, circle chair, collectively.

Armchair has two forms, one is the South Hat Chair, the northern region known as the Rose Chair, the southern region known as the chair, the form of short, back and armrests and chair seat vertical; the second is the four out of the head of the official hat chair, the official hat chair is similar to the shape of its ancient officials hat and named.

Hat Chair: can be divided into "four out of the head" hat chair and the South Hat Chair two categories. The so-called "four out of the head" refers to the chair's hitching brain at both ends and the front end of the armrests out of the inch, the back of a backboard, the two sides of the armrests on each side of a stick with a gang. South official hat chair is made in the south of a back chair, and "four out of the head" the main difference between the official hat chair is the hitch brain around and the front of the armrests do not come out of the head.

Four out of the head of the official hat chair is one of the typical style of Ming-style armchair, which is characterized by curves in many places: the chair's "hitching brain" in the middle of the cut out of the slope to the two sides of the eight slightly sagging, and then picked up, the two ends out of the head, shaped like an official hat; left and right armrests of the front also out of the head, so it is called the "four out of the head official hat chair". The front ends of the left and right armrests also come out, so it is called "Four Heads Official Chair", or simply "Four Heads". The backboard is a curved curved backboard (s-shaped when viewed from the side), which is connected to the hitching post and the seat. The two rounded back legs of the chair are bent backward into an arc from the armrests to connect with the hitching brain. Armrests are also curved. The front post of the armrest is called the goose neck, also curved. Both sides of the armrests in the middle of each a "joint help stick", the joint help stick is also the first outwardly curved, and then convergence, and armrests, commonly known as the sickle handle. Under the chair seat, meet the door of the coupon mouth teeth using the pot door method. Four out of the official hat chair height 120cm, seat surface 55.5cm × 43.4cm. generally with the coffee table with a complete set of four chairs and a few placed in the hall on both sides of the room, for symmetrical placement, used to receive guests.

Rose Chair: (Ming Rose Chair)

Also known as the "Wen Chair". Rose Chair has three basic features: First, the backrest and armrests and seat are vertical intersection. Secondly, the backrest is low, only slightly higher than the armrests, rose chairs are generally placed against the window sill, the use of which determines the backrest can not be higher than the edge of the window. If used together with the table, the back of the chair does not exceed the height of the tabletop. Third, because of the different backrest decoration and the use of different teeth and a variety of styles. Common style is in the backrest and armrests inside the coupon mouth tooth bar, and tooth bar port connected to the cross-profile under the short old (short post) or knot flower, is the typical style of the rose chair. There are also in the back for carving, more styles, unique.

The back and armrests are about the same height, the back of the chair is lower than the back of the chair in general, the window sill is not higher than the window edge, chic modeling. The backrest and armrests are fitted with carved vents inside the teeth, fine workmanship, is a common chair style of Ming furniture.

Circle chair: circle back with armrests armchair, circle back and armrests from high to low a smooth and down, sit and lean so that people's arms leaning against the circle-shaped armrests, very comfortable. The shape is round and beautiful, full-bodied and strong, is one of the unique national characteristics of China's chair style. Circle chair is because the backrest and armrests connected to the circle and named. Generally furnished in the main house on both sides of the right and left sides of the Eight Immortals Table (pay attention to put the law, not directly opposite to put). Circle chair is the improvement of the chair. Round beautiful chair circle through the back column, from high to low a smooth and down, become the armrests. The backrest plate is concave and curved backward. When sitting and reclining, people's arms lean on the circle-shaped armrests feel very comfortable. From the structural point of view, four round legs slightly four dig, the upper end of the front leg is called "goose neck" to support the handrail. Armrests are equipped with an outwardly curved joint stick (also known as the "sickle handle"); seat under the installed pot door coupon mouth teeth; leg heel is equipped with not in the same plane of the door post, called step by step high door post. Circle chair in the Ming Dynasty was called "master chair".

The rounded back and armrests of the circle chair, the choice of wood grain requirements are very high, but also very costly material, the use of "three spelling" (i.e., with three curved wood, with wedges and mortise and tenons into the), the general use of "five spelling".

From the structural point of view, Ming-style chair has two major types of conventional practice. The first, that is, the front legs and goose neck (armrests under the door post) for the same wood, the back legs and the back of the door post for the same wood, the back of the board to save the frame inlaid into the board, which is slightly embossed on the decoration. Seat under the three sides are equipped with pot door type carving coupon mouth teeth. Circle chair goose neck (front legs of the upper end) is generally curved, in the chair circle and columns, goose neck and armrests, backrest board and the tongue and groove of the chair circle, are equipped with engraved lace flower teeth. The heel is equipped with a step high profile, which is also equipped with engraved lace under the foot of the teeth. This type of chair, simple style, fresh and elegant. In terms of technology, the four legs of such chairs to use long wood, the grain of the wood towards the high requirements, the production of difficult (because the four legs slightly dug out, but also round legs, mortise and tenon production is very difficult).

The second type, goose neck and chair rim columns and legs and feet were produced separately, is another type of structural form of the circle chair. Cushion chair seat under the use of panels, girdle, buttresses, dental plate, three curved legs, dragon claw feet, buttresses clay structural form. The backrest plate is beautifully decorated with relief carvings. Backrest plate, back column, goose neck are equipped with curved edge flower teeth. There are columns on both sides of the high girdle, embedded with panels decorated with chi dragons in relief. The chinrest is wider. The three curved legs are well mortised and tenoned into the pot-door style teeth, which are carved in relief with scrolling grass patterns. The foot of the dragon's claw is supported by a suzuka-type footrest. The clay also uses the pot door type teeth. This type of chair, style luxury, extraordinary. From the craft, so this type of chair seat and legs are separated, four legs only with short wood, the wood grain towards the requirements are not high, because the legs and teeth, tube leg post is vertical intersection, so the production is easier.

Crossing chair: sitting, also known as "cross bed", "Hu bed", is an ancient folding back armchair. Song Dynasty Tao hub "Qing Yi Lu" has this record: "Hu bed Shi turn open to cross the foot, wear the strip to sit, turn shrink in a moment, weighing not several pounds, when called the free seat." Chair, the original is the ancient northern minority folding seating, called Hu bed, also known as "bed", "chair", "rope bed". It is characterized by folding, easy to carry. The structure of this chair is very much like a matzah, when placed, using a box-shaped structure made of chair legs, along an iron shaft to pull open, in a cross shape and so named. Cross chair has a rounded back and armrests, from high to low a smooth and down, sit against the arms can make people lean against the circle of the armrests, very comfortable; seat surface is soft drawer, chair legs can be folded, the following feet on the foot bed. Chair in the Southern Song Dynasty has been made quite perfect. Chair in the Yuan and Ming Dynasty is still popular. When used, the chair set into eight directions, guests and hosts sit opposite; can also be placed in the center of the hall a chair, left and right sides placed one to several chairs. To the middle of the Qing Dynasty, due to the popularity of other chairs, this foldable chair is no longer popular. The chair's arc-shaped back and armrests, the choice of wood grain requirements are very high, the preoccupation of the three spelling (i.e., with three arcs of wood, with wedges and mortise and tenon joints), generally five spelling.

Taishi chair: is a huge form, fine workmanship, in the hall on the armchair of the general term. After the Qing Dynasty refers to large circle chair type chair.

Ming-style South Hat Chair

is popular in the South of the chair. Southern production of the official hat chair and "four out of the head of the official hat chair" is slightly different, that is, "hitching brain" at both ends and the front of the two armrests are not out of the pick, but "hitching brain" is still concave backward, shaped like an official hat! Therefore, the name "South Hat Chair", is one of the representative style of Ming furniture chair. South official hat chair also has several styles. There is a kind of four out of the head of the official hat chair, backrest is very high, since the armrests from the back to play a live curve, backrest plate is also back to play a live curve with the hitching brain connected. It is because the chair back legs have a greater degree of curvature, not only the production process is more difficult, but also cost material, but is a popular style in the Ming Dynasty. The back panel has a relief carving of double chi dragon group pattern, which is also a popular practice of the Ming style chair. The structure under the seat is the same as the general chair. Backrest shorter style, backrest with three straight round door post, seat below the three sides are used pot door post plus short old, the heel of the installation of step by step to catch the door post. There is also the South Official's Hat Chair, the seat for the fan-shaped, the arc of the hitching brain is convex to the back, and the opposite direction of the big side. The whole apparatus for the plain muddy surface, only in relief on the backrest plate. Seat surface under the three sides of the installation of "pudding belly" coupon mouth spear, along the edge of the "light grass line".

Hexagonal chair: a variation of the chair practice, often the front edge of the seat after lengthening into a hexagonal chair, so the corresponding six feet, the front of the armrests are not out of the pick. The north said hexagonal chair, the southern part of the country called hexagonal chair.

Solo seat: the Qing Dynasty gardens and large family hall on the use of armchairs. Its form of floating heavy, large size, bold, and often carved cloud pattern, lingzhi pattern, etc., the general backrest is also embedded in the center of the round Yunshi, is a distinctive Jiangnan region chair.

Thrones: palace hall for the emperor to use the armchair, generally applied to the cloud dragon color phoenix and other complex carving pattern, painted gold lacquer, extremely rich and luxurious. Taihe Temple of the Forbidden City in Beijing, the center, in about two meters high on the seven steps of the wooden platform placed a hollowed out gold lacquer dragon armchair, known as the "throne".