Furniture and scholar's objects

Classical Chinese furniture is most closely associated with pieces made during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, often of the highly prized huanghuali wood. Other important hardwoods used include zitan,jichimu and nanmu. The distinguishing features of this type of furniture include the natural beauty and grain of the wood, elegant proportions, refined mortise-and-tenon joinery and fine detailing such as beaded edges.

A selection of art objects made from a diverse range of materials, including bamboo, stone, lacquer, jade, and different types of wood. In many of these pieces, the Chinese craftsmen’s skill in using the material lies in exploring the boundary between art and nature, with art imitating nature so closely as to be indistinguishable from it.