05 May 2017
Antique Chinese furniture can be loosely divided into two broad categories: classical and vernacular. Historically, classical pieces were made from frequently imported hardwoods and commissioned by members of the imperial family, ranked officials, scholars, and those connected with the imperial court in some fashion. Like other prized artwork in Chinese culture, classical furniture emphasized t...
08 July 2016
Hong Kong, July 1, 1997. The usual bustle of the island city was noticeably subdued, replaced by an almost tangible sense of excitement and nervousness as the citizens stood on the threshold of an historic event. The monsoon rains that swelled from drizzles to downpours could not keep the curious off the streets where enthusiastic supporters as well as wary protestors gathered together. Ve...
23 October 2015
“You cannot!” she exclaimed. “Your grandfather’s spirit lives there. Have you forgotten he saved your life? When you were ten years old, you nearly drowned!”“I have not forgotten!” Yao retorted. “But worshiping the dead threatens the revolution.”Yao fell silent. He could not find anything to say in response; however, his sense of duty to...
15 May 2015
It was not a good time to be around if you were a piece of antique furniture during China’s Cultural Revolution. You might have been burned to ashes or if you were lucky, thrown haphazardly into a large warehouse run by the Peoples Liberation Army. Such was the fate of a great deal of antique furniture during the ten years between 1966 and 1976. Many pieces were destroyed for being &l...
03 February 2015
At one point during high school my room was home to nine chairs: a desk chair, a couch, an armchair, an ottoman, two bar stools, one dining chair, one swivel chair, and a bean bag cushion. As you can imagine, there was more sitting room than walking space, and my room wasn’t too big anyway. In looking back, the question arises: why did I have so many chairs? There is no convincing a...