ThefirstauctionofChineseantiquefurnitureheldbyInternationalAuctionCompanyinNewYork,US,hasattractedcollectorsthroughouttheworld.Aftertwohoursoffiercecompetition,allobjectsaresoldwithnoremaining.ThissuccessfulauctionmarksthepositionofChineseancientfurnitureamongsttheworldlyimportantculturalrelics.
Thetrendoffolkcollectionisdatedbacktoseventy's.Nowmoreandmoremenofinsighthaverecognizedthevalueofartsandcommerceinit.Thedemandisincreasing,andtheprospectofmarketisfavorable.Becauseoftheprohibitiononexportoffivewood(inothername,"hardwood")furniturebygovernment,theabroadcollectorsnowfocusonfurnituremadefromnon-prohibitedwoodswhicharenamed"softfurniture"incomparisonwiththosehardones.
Whateverfromhardorsoftwoods,theChineseclassicfurniturehasgreatvalue.JustassignificantasclassicmusicoftheEast,theChineseantiquefurniturebelongstotreasureofhumanspirit.
Asoneofthefourancientcivilizednations,Chinaboastsitshistoryoffivethousandyearsandresplendenttreasureofcivilization,theChineseclassicfurniturebeingsignificantpartofit.ThemostrepresentativeshouldbefurnitureoftheMingandQingDynasties,whichtypicallyshowtheirexquisitecraftvalue,artisticvalue,andhistoricalculturalvalue.ThismakesfurnitureartapartofthevaluableheritageinwhichweChinesetakepride.
FurnitureoftheMingDynasty,alsoknownasMingstylefurniture,isusuallymadeofhardwood.TheMingFurnitureisfamousforitsuniqueframeconstructs.Itfeaturessimpleandchicdesignswithanemphaticcontour.Thewoodfeaturesheavycolors,beautifulpatternsandfineandhardtexture.Therearevirtuallynocarvingsorengravings.Inordertostressthebeautifullines,onlydecorativecarvingsaredonelocallyinordernottoaffecttheoveralleffect.TheoutstandingworkmanshipoftheMingfurnitureisalsoreflectedinitsrationalstructureandelegantappearance.
ThefurnitureoftheMingDynastywasrichinvarietiesandstyles,andnowtheconceptoffurnituresetswasformed,andcompletessetsoffurnitureappearedinhall,bedroom,andstudy,dividedbythefunctionofeachspace.FurnitureoftheQingdynastyisquitedifferentfromthatoftheMingDynastyinthestyleofformativeart.TheQingFurnitureischaracterizedbyitsusageofweightywoodformakingfurnitureofrelativelylargerinsize.Itfeaturesstrongimpactsandelegance.Itssophisticatedinlays,carvingsandpaintingscommandanimpressionofhighauthoritativepower.AllthisstandsasharpcontrastwiththeMing'sstyle.
QingfurnitureismainlymadeinBeijing,SuzhouandGuangzhou,eachhavingitsownlocalstyles,suchasBeijingstyle,SuzhoustyleandGuangzhoustyle.BeijingstyleandSuzhoustylehaveretainedmuchofthetraditionalforms.TheGuangzhoustyle,duetotheinfluenceoftheWesternsculture,isvirtuallywesternized.TheChineseantiquefurnitureoftheMingandQingdynastiesisofexquisiteadesignworkmanshipandcarefulcarving.IthasbeentheraretreasureandoneofthesplendidpartsoftheOrientalculture.
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