MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE FURNITURE

Abstract

This article focuses on the origin, development and evolution of the materials of traditional Chinese furniture, as well as the evolution of traditional sitting postures and etiquette norms in China which significantly influenced the furniture design. Scientific developments, changes in construction and decorative techniques and the usage of various materials are analyzed in this context. The article focuses on the analysis of the unique characteristics of the wooden materials of traditional Chinese furniture, as well as the wood products of different furniture used in various eras. In the article, while studying the wooden furniture materials, authors also examine the impact of China’s political, economic and trade background on the timber trade in a given historical period, which directly affects the choice of wooden materials in the later stage of Chinese traditional furniture development. The article introduces the types and uses of different wooden materials by taking the materials of Chinese Ming-style furniture as an example, and scrutinizes the reasons why Chinese traditional furniture manufacturers have been relying on wooden materials for thousands of years. The article expounds in detail the characteristics and reasons of Chinese traditional furniture in choosing wooden materials from three aspects: physical characteristics of the materials from the standpoint of materials science and engineering, the psychological characteristics of color and the decorative characteristics of patterns. The article summarizes the traditional Chinese design concepts and philosophy of creation, and the influence of these traditional design concepts on the selection of materials for Chinese traditional furniture. Finally, the article summarizes the modernization of traditional wooden furniture materials and their activity in China's current market, indicating that the wooden materials of traditional Chinese furniture still have a profound impact on the design of modern Chinese furniture.