Chinese Furniture - by Karen Mazurkewich (Paperback)

About the Book

The international market for antique Chinese furniture is booming, and masterpieces from the Ming and Qing dynasties are now selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Chinese Furniture is a survey of these collectibles--from the very best museum-quality hardwood pieces to standard softwood specimens still available at reasonable prices on the international market. Carpenters from this era were artisans. They elevated furniture from the functional to the realm of the philosophical. By artfully aligning wood grain patterns, experimenting with spatial dimensions, and innovating new forms of joinery, simple tables and chairs came to represent something higher--the harmony and union of man and nature. With its detailed historical overview and regional coverage, this book highlights the great diversity of antique Chinese furniture and serves as an indispensable guide to collectors, new and old.

Book Synopsis

The international market for antique Chinese furniture is booming, and masterpieces from the Ming and Qing dynasties are now selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Chinese Furniture is a survey of these collectibles--from the very best museum-quality hardwood pieces to standard softwood specimens still available at reasonable prices on the international market.

Carpenters from this era were artisans. They elevated furniture from the functional to the realm of the philosophical. By artfully aligning wood grain patterns, experimenting with spatial dimensions, and innovating new forms of joinery, simple tables and chairs came to represent something higher--the harmony and union of man and nature.

Lavishly illustrated with over 300 color photographs, historical prints and detailed drawings, this book presents an overview of:

• Carving Styles
• Wood Types
• Regional Variations
• Class Distinctions
• Restoration Techniques
• And much more!

With its detailed historical overview and regional coverage, this book highlights the great diversity of antique Chinese furniture and serves as an indispensable guide to collectors, new and old.

Review Quotes

"This large format edition of Karen Muzurkewich's Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors is beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout in full color. The commentary is instructive and the book itself is a pleasure for collectors, dealers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject to simply browse through." —Midwest Book Review

" [Chinese Furniture] shows authentic classics from beds to household accessories, with advice on how pieces were constructed. There is a section on fakes, but identification and knowing authentic ancient to modern looks is the point of this book." --The Smart Collector

"Karen Mazurkewich has spent years researching and investigating antiques and manufacturing in Asia. She puts her experience to use in this well-illustrated book." --The Maine Antique Digest

About the Author

Karen Mazurkewich is an Asian Wall Street Journal reporter who has covered Asian culture and the retail scene for three years from her base in Hong Kong. Mazurkewich has investigated art forgery, interviewed countless collectors, grilled innovative businessmen, and queried tradesmen--all in a quest to better understand the business and culture of fine furniture collecting in Asia.

A.Chester Ong, born in the Philippines and currently based in Hong Kong, has photographed widely throughout Asia. His photography appears in magazines, exhibitions, as well as books. Tuttle Publishing titles featuring his photography are Tropical Living: Contemporary Dream Houses in the Philippines, China Modern, and Chinese Houses.