Chinese Furniture. Karen Mazurkewich

cues from pictorial references found in woodblock prints or life-sized and miniature pieces excavated from tombs. However, dating by visual reference is problematic. While pictures found in carpentry manuals, paintings, books and even tomb frescoes offer insight into period styles, they are not definitive. The dates attributed to the artwork itself are questionable, and it was not uncommon for artists to paint old-style furniture out of reverence for the past. The other problem is that styles did not radically change and carpenters frequently reverted to old designs for inspiration. The general rule is that decoration increased over time, but there are many exceptions. Ornate and severe styles were often produced side by side. Chinese craftsmen paid homage to their predecessors by copying their designs.

      Fig. 43 A square Eight Immortals table and two round stools in a little eating corner in the Shanghai home of author/dealer Curtis Evarts.

      Fig. 44 Carved shrine box, baimu (cypress) and changmu (camphor), with an inscription dating manufacture to August 1840, Fujian province. Collection of Cola Ma.

      Fig. 45 This coffer table is carved in vernacular style with figurines interspersed between a floral background. The escutcheon mount is a silver coin bearing the Zheng He inscription (AD 1111–18), a short period during Huizong’s rule of the northern Song empire. These details, combined with the age of the coin, have led Curtis Evarts to conclude the table should be dated to the twelfth or thirteenth century—although others think this dating is too old. Up close, the symbolism carved into the front panels of the table shows a boy and a mermaid carrying a large lotus flower, while the central door features a carved rabbit, a symbol associated with fertility. Photo courtesy Cola Ma.

      Fig. 46 Altar table, huaimu (locust), from the Ming dynasty in the "Jin" style, sourced in Shanxi province. It was possibly carried around for special ceremonial occasions. The inscription (detail) belongs to a coffer table from the Shanxi region that dates back to the Chongzhen period and puts the table at 1633. That table (not shown) also bears an original coin from the Tianqi period (1621–7), which would have been in circulation at the time of the coffer's construction. Photos courtesy Cola Ma.

      Fig. 47 Details of a washstand, huanghuali, eighteenth century, Shanxi province. During the Qing dynasty, the dragon’s nose became elongated and the number of claws was reduced. The finely carved openwork panel features bats, symbols of fortune or blessing, amidst clouds. Photos courtesy Charles Wong.

      That said, there are some basic criteria by which to judge age:

      • The outline of Ming furniture is often more fluid; the corners are almost rounded in shape.

      • The shape of the horse hoof foot is also different in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Qing foot is more square and vigorous. The Ming hoof is lower and more delicately tapered.

      • Carving design differs from one era to another. Ming craftsmen fleshed out more story when carving pictorial representations. In earlier times, the calligraphic fu symbol of fortune was popular, but by the Qing dynasty the bat motif was used to symbolize fortune. The mythological character which underwent the greatest transformation was the dragon. Dragons carved during the Ming dynasty had five claws, a shorter snout, and the upper and lower jaw was roughly the same size. By the Qing dynasty, the dragon had lost one claw and its nose had become so elongated it sometimes resembled an elephant’s trunk (Fig 47, right).

      • Earlier furniture resembles old architectural design. For example, the railings on the arms of Ming-dynasty chairs or canopy beds often mimic the old railings found on pavilions. The geometric openwork design featured on railings on some canopy beds is similar to the latticed balustrades carved into stone inside the Yungang Caves in Shanxi province. It is also found on the balustrade of a terrace in a painting attributed to the Song-dynasty painter Wang Chu-cheng. Later designs use floral motifs. Moreover, old pieces such as the small, square table with its curvilinear apron shown in Fig. 50 are a vestige of the box-like furniture found in Tang-dynasty tombs, which suggests that this table is old.

      • The lacquer finish also offers clues to dating. During the Ming, clothing fabric was used as a lining between the wood and the layers of lacquer. The rough fabric—much like cheesecloth—was generally soaked in a paste (a mix of lacquer and shell, brick, bone or charcoal) and placed over the surface of the wood. Another layer of lacquer was then applied. During the Qing dynasty, fabric was rarely used as an underlay, and when it was used, the fabric was finely textured. The skin of the lacquer—its patina—can also be a helpful dating tool because it oxidizes at a predictable rate. Connoisseurs study the tones of old lacquer to determine its age.