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The history of Chinese furniture development ...

The creation of Chinese furniture can be traced back to the Neolithic Age. From the Neolithic Age to the Qin and Han Dynasties, by the limitations of culture and productivity, furniture are very simple. People sit on the ground, furniture are low. After the North and South Dynasties, high furniture gradually more. To the Tang Dynasty, high furniture is increasingly popular, sitting on the ground and sitting with two alternating lifestyles. To the Song Dynasty, the feet sitting in the high type of furniture popularized folk, become the main form of furniture for people to live and work and rest. Up to this point, China's traditional wooden furniture modeling, structure and basic stereotypes. Since then, with the social and economic, cultural development, traditional Chinese furniture in the craft, modeling, structure, decoration and other aspects of maturity, to the Ming Dynasty and shine, into a brilliant period, and in the history of the world's furniture occupies an important position. In the Qing Dynasty, the amount of furniture increased, focusing on carving and decorating, and became a unique style. in the early 20th century, due to the influence of foreign furniture, there was a new style of furniture "Western style made in China". after the 1950s, the Chinese furniture industry developed rapidly. in the 1980s, in the different furniture styles of different countries and advanced production technology, Chinese furniture continues to explore traditional techniques and combine them with their own national furniture. In the 1980s, while borrowing different furniture styles and advanced production technologies from other countries, Chinese furniture continued to explore traditional techniques and combine them with its own national conditions and folk customs, gradually forming a new generation of furniture styles.  Furniture from Prehistory to Spring and Autumn Period (Prehistory to 476 BC) From 1978 to 1980, when the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences excavated the late Neolithic site of Taosi Village, Xiangfen County, Shanxi Province (2,500 BC to 1,900 BC), the traces of the artifacts and the colorful skins identified that there were already wooden rectangular flat plates and chopping boards in the burials, which are the earliest Chinese wooden furniture found so far. In the 21st century BC, China invented bronze smelting and casting technology, the emergence of sharp metal tools for the manufacture of wooden utensils to provide the conditions, resulting in the gradual increase of wooden furniture after the Western Zhou Dynasty. In the "Poetry", "Rites", "Zuo Zhuan" records, this period of wooden furniture has been a bed, a few, searched (screen) and boxes and so on. At the same time, bronze furniture also appeared. From the unearthed artifacts seen in the Shang Dynasty bronze ban and taotie, cicada pattern, copper chopper, reflecting the period of bronze furniture in the casting technology, as well as practical and decorative aspects have reached a high level.  Furniture structure Early wooden furniture has been transplanted from the building to apply mortise and tenon structure. 1979, in Jiangxi Guixi late Spring and Autumn period cliff tomb unearthed two wooden shelf seat remnants, found in the square mortise and tenon groove.  Bronze furniture in the shang dynasty for the whole cast, to the spring and autumn period has been developed for casting, welding, lost wax casting, inlay and other processes. 1979 henan xichuan under the temple chu tomb unearthed in the late spring and autumn period of multi-layer cloud bronze ban, is the use of lost wax casting process, the modeling of the more exquisite and rich in decorative.  Furniture lacquer decoration Neolithic era, people recognized the performance of lacquer and used for making tools. Shang, Zhou period, lacquer decoration process has been more common. At that time, the paint was taken from the sap of the lacquer tree, known as raw lacquer, which contains lacquer phenol, laccase, gum and water. Lacquer can be formulated into a variety of colors, using it as paint not only to protect the objects, but also play a decorative role. More lacquer wood furniture survived in the Eastern Zhou period. Lacquer boxes unearthed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the surface is decorated with cloud thunder, back to the pattern, coiled chi dragons, stealing curve and other patterns of painting; Jianghan, Jianghuai region of the Chu tombs unearthed in the seat of the screen, a couple of cases, such as lacquer wood furniture, beautiful shape, smooth decoration.  Furniture during the Warring States period (475 ~ 221 BC) The Warring States period, lacquered wood furniture in the development period, bronze furniture has also made great progress.  Lacquer wood furniture The Warring States period of lacquer wood furniture in a wide variety of novel finishes, rich and dignified. 1957 Henan Xinyang Warring States Chu Tomb unearthed the lacquer case, the case side of the four can be lifted by the head of the case, the corner of the case inlaid with copper, the case of the foot of copper, the case of the surface of the lacquer painting and copper decorations reflecting each other. 1978 Suixian, Hubei, early Warring States period of the Zenghouyi Tomb unearthed the twenty-eight elephants of the clothes box, black lacquer for the base of the vermilion pattern on its painted Dipper and the Blue Dragon, White Tiger astronomical images (Figure 1). Xinyang Chu tomb unearthed six-foot lacquer painted fence large wooden bed, fence foot carved flowers and clouds lacquer several, as well as in 1958 Changde, Hunan Province, excavated in the Warring States Tomb of the lacquer several, such as simple modeling, lacquer decorations, reflecting the lacquer decorative technology has been more mature.  Wooden furniture such as tables, cases, beds and other large furniture, mostly frame structure, mortise and tenon joints. Commonly used forms of mortise and tenon joints are cross lap mortise and tenon, closed through the mortise and tenon, closed through the mortise and tenon, open through the mortise and tenon, Ming dovetail mortise and tenon, and so on. Such as Xinyang Chu tomb unearthed large wooden bed, carved lacquer table, wooden chopping board, etc., in the foot and the frame, foot and the case surface, drawer board beams and the border, the fence posts and the bed frame connection between the use of a variety of mortise and tenon joints on the above method, combined with a solid, beautiful appearance. Several, the case of the bottom of the foot of furniture, often add a crosspiece, known as "calyx" ("calyx" through the "tarsus", for the foot of the furniture). It can support and fix the foot, but also to protect the foot. These structures have been improved and developed through the ages, forming an important feature of traditional Chinese furniture, which is still in use today.  Bronze furniture During the Warring States period, bronze furniture in the shape, craftsmanship have made great progress. 1978 Pingshan, Hebei, the White Di tribe of the former state of zhongshan king's tomb unearthed a wrong gold and silver dragons and phoenixes bronze program to four deer for the foot bearing a circle, the circle on the coiled into a hemispherical four dragons and four phoenixes, the dragon's head above the arch of the case of the top of each set of bearers. 1960 Yunnan jiangchuan yunnan warring States tomb unearthed the tiger and cow bronze case, composed of two oxen and a tiger, the body For a standing cow, four-footed for the case of feet, the back of the cow was oval-shaped case, a tiger pounced on the cow's tail for the case of ears, and another calf hiding under the mother's body. Standing bull robust, two horns forward, full of muscle, balanced and stable modeling, lifelike (Figure 3). These bronze furniture is exquisite craftsmanship, can be called a rare treasure. Qin and Han period furniture (221 BC ~ 220 AD) Qin and Han period, in the inheritance of the Warring States on the basis of lacquer decoration, lacquered wood furniture into the heyday, not only the number of large, varied, and decorative techniques have also been greater development.  Furniture development changes during the Qin and Han Dynasties, people are still living on the ground sitting (kneeling) or sitting on their knees, sitting on their feet has not yet seen the emergence of popularity. Commonly used furniture are several, case, box, cabinet, bed, couch, screen, su (put clothes of small furniture), trousseau (put the grooming supplies of appliances), Hu bed (sitting, also known as the bed, rope bed) and so on. The main features of the furniture in this period: ① most of the furniture is low. ② Begin to see the beginning of the evolution from low to high type of tip. Western Han Dynasty, imported from India, a wo? (Tat Deng). The "Shih Ming" note: "Tat Deng, the application of a large bed before the small couch, boarding the bed also." Both in front of the bed on the couch on the bed, indicating that the height of the bed has increased. And according to the "Taiping Yuban" records: "Lingdi good Hu bed." Hu bed is a kind of northwest nomadic folding lightweight seating equipment, sitting with feet hanging down. Sitting on the floor by the evolution of sitting on the feet is a major change in the history of furniture. (3) the emergence of soft cushions. "Xijing Miscellany" is recorded in the Han dynasty, the son of jade on a few winter with silk fabrics, ministers of the wooden table is added with jewels (felt sewn pockets). This is the earliest appearance of upholstery. ④ The materials used to make furniture are more extensive, in addition to wood, there are metal, bamboo, glass, jade and so on.  Furniture decoration In addition to the traditional lacquer painting, oil paint, needle scratching, paste gold and silver foil, silver or copper? Hoop, etc., but also the development of the bump gold (needle scratching fill gold), pile of lacquer (with thick lacquer piled into patterns) and other crafts. Lacquer decoration, some also with gilt copper ornaments, more flashy. In addition, a variety of jewelry, glass is also often used as a decorative material for furniture. For example, Guangzhou Xianggang Nan Yue Wang Tomb unearthed in the early Western Han Dynasty copper frame lacquer screen, is equipped with rectangular light blue glass. According to the "Xijing Miscellany" records, "Emperor Wu for the seven treasures bed, miscellaneous treasures eucalyptus (case), toilet (side) treasure screen, set up in the Gui Palace, the people of the time called the four treasures Palace". These are exquisite furniture. Salt and iron theory - scattered insufficient" said "a screen on the work of ten thousand people", which is precious.  Wei Jin and North and South Dynasties period furniture (220 ~ 581) Wei Jin and North and South Dynasties is a period of great national integration in Chinese history, cultural and economic exchanges between the various ethnic groups on the development of furniture has played a catalytic role.  The development of furniture included armchairs, round benches, square benches, round cases, long stools, cupboards, and bamboo and rattan furniture such as bamboo baskets and boxes. Bed has been significantly higher, can be crawling bed feet, and added the top of the bed, bed nets and removable multi-fold ultimatum around the screen (Figure 4). Sitting furniture varieties increase, reflecting the foot sitting has been gradually popularized, promoting the development of furniture to high type.  Furniture modeling structure Furniture foot type in addition to straight feet, there are curved feet, while absorbing the architectural foundation and Buddha Sumeru seat modeling structure, the creation of a new furniture support components, because of its shape like the Palace Lane door, according to the shape of the attached will be called pot door structure. This structure is strong, decorative, forming a major feature of furniture from the Six Dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties. Some furniture assembly also used iron nails and iron connectors. For example, in 1982, Liaoning Yuan Taizi Eastern Jin Dynasty tomb unearthed wooden box, wall plate with "S" shaped iron embedded in the connection, around the corner of the packet iron nailed with iron nails, the bottom of the box and the box wall plate with iron nails across the nail solid, the box outside the two sides of the iron ring. At the same time unearthed there are 4 pieces of gilt-bronze tent corner, each tent corner are three short tubes connected at right angles to the radial, can be inserted into the wooden poles to form a square tent frame. Because of the furniture in the use of metal fasteners, connectors and plugs, improve the rigidity of the furniture, simplify the structure of the furniture. Thank you Please adopt !!!!!!!!!!