Antique Oriental Furniture - The Most Important Characteristics

 The Orient has always been and still is extremely exotic for Westerners. We marvel at the art pieces from the Far East not only because of their unique designs, beauty and elegance; the forms used in this part of the world as well as the decorative arts techniques vary dramatically from what we are familiar with. Hence, you should expect to come across a lot of surprises when looking for antique Oriental furniture.

The culture in the Far East differs dramatically from the culture in the Western world. This creates dramatic differences in the lifestyle as well as in home décor and the furniture used. The antique Oriental furniture pieces are extremely simplistic, especially compared to the elaborately designed items from countries such as France and Germany. The decorative motifs are basic and can even be described as crude. In many cases, they are missing completely. The Oriental furniture pieces are designed to bring functionality and uniformity to the décor. Their purpose is to bring harmony from the natural world into the house.

Despite their simple designs and geometric forms, the antique Oriental furniture pieces can boast originality, beautiful colors and stylish ornamentations. In addition, various lacquering techniques come from the Far East. These methods gave elegance and a refined look to the pieces.

The most notable antique Oriental furniture pieces come from China and Japan. The different styles which emerged in these countries remained in use for centuries due to the traditional practices of Asian artists, designers and craftsmen. Unlike the dramatic changes of styles that took place in Europe and America, the traditions in Oriental furniture making were preserved, even though practical improvements to the designs were introduced throughout the different periods.

The Chinese homes were modestly furnished. In many cases, one piece of furniture served a dual purpose. For instance, the Ta beds and Luohanchuang beds were used both as beds and benches and sofas for sitting.

Plain geometric designs were typical for the chairs and stools. The traditional Chinese Dengzi stools are low and have a plain square form. The Zuodun tools have unique barrel shapes and more artistic designs. They resemble exotic drums. Most antique Chinese chairs have square seats. The back is made by three vertical wood panels with the central one being wider and the two side ones being extremely thin. The three pieces attached to a horizontal top panel. The legs are straight and relatively short. They have little or no ornamentation.

Antique Chinese tables have rectangular or square tops and legs. Tables of different sizes and heights served different purposes. The larger ones were used for dining. The ones with drawers served as desks and the small and tall ones were used as stands for plants and decorative objects.

Most antique cabinets coming from China have rectangular shapes and rectilinear lines. Drawers are not typical. You can usually find only shelves behind the two doors of a cabinet. Most models lack any kind of decoration and ornamentation.

The dramatic colors are typical for antique Chinese furniture. Red and black are the most common shades, even though green and brown are popular as well. The wood was highly polished and has a gorgeous shine. Various lacquer techniques were used to give furniture pieces durability and beauty.

The geometric forms and rectilinear shapes are typical for Japanese antique furniture as well. Different types of woods, such as cedar and Japanese elm were used for the making of tables and cabinets. The chairs were not common in traditional Japanese décor. Just like in China, the wood was polished to get the most perfect gloss. The soft and natural red colors are the most common for Japanese furniture. The shades vary from dramatic fire red to paler orange. The ornamentations are not typical for traditional Japanese furniture, even though some items from the 19th century, influenced by Western styles, have beautiful gilded metal appliqués with simple floral patterns.

The traditional Japanese cabinets, known as tansu or dansu, are the most popular pieces of antique Oriental furniture from this region. They have various distinctive designs, typical for the different periods of the country’s history. The most impressive kind is Kaidan-Dansu – a cabinet with a staircase shape. It actually served both its furniture and architectural purpose.