Thread: Chinese Furniture and Joinery

OOoohh - what you just said First, do a search on Amazon.com under 'Chinese Furniture' then open your wallet & say after me 'Help Yourself' There are a few 'Dover' paper backs of old books that are good - ETC Wagner is one author IIRC. Then things rapidly run into the $100's - been there, still there.

There was a very interesting article in Wood review about Chinese woodworkers in Australia in the 19th Century. I became interested because my son bught an old dresser that had a mark inside one of the drawers. They used hand tools very much like the ones that are available from HNT Gordon etc. (which are a pleasure to use by the way).
Will look up the reference later.
regards

CP

Thanks for that excellent post thumbsucker. Many of the points you raised resonated with me, trying as I am to realise the 'zen' of wood. There is indeed a beauty in imperfection -- the imperfection of letting nature be itself, while adapting it to our purposes. There is certainly much imperfection in my pieces...sometimes all I see is a composition of 'stuff-ups': yet I can be satisfied, while yearning for higher achievement.

I'd say that you don't have to delve into chinese or japanese designs to explore, as you say, the 'buddhist' beauty of woodwork (interesting as these cultures are). Pick a project you need for the house, and take a 'just-do-it' approach. The piece will then reflect who you are and the influences from your particular surroundings. As you become steeped in oriental inlfuences, these will begin to show in your work.

Can you post an example of the chinese pinned box joint you are referring to?

aaah Thumbsucker, the questions you have asked!
I lived in China for a couple of years and only came back 2 weeks ago from another visit. I have a house full of Chinese furniture and everything I make for us has to fit in. I can recommend the book by Gustav Ecke, I can't remember the title but will post tonight, and it illustrates just how all of the joinery fits together. I am currently repairing a beautiful old Chinese table ($160 in King St Newtown, Sydney) and without the book I would not have been able to work out that the whole thing is held together by 8 rough, tiny dowels .... just beautiful.
There is so much to learn!
Fletty

It looks like I am not alone in my appreciation.

I totally agree that

Originally Posted by zenwood

I see is a composition of 'stuff-ups'

and that wood has its own character its own imperfections in grain, texture, shape and form, and it is that which very much makes it such a beautiful medium.

I think I really like the joints, however its also the proportion and scale. The dimension of the pieces. While the impression is of fine strong lines, the furniture has an amazing level of weight and rigidity for pieces of such delicate appearance.

Originally Posted by zenwood

Can you post an example of the chinese pinned box joint you are referring to?

Please see the two photos attached of a pin box joint. Its almost a cross between a finger and dowel joint and even a touch of dovetail.

I did a search on Amazon and came across Chinese Domestic Furniture in Photographs and Measured Drawings (Dover Books on Furniture) by Gustav Ecke (Author) - which is well reviewed.

I also found Greene and Greene: Masterworks by Bruce Smith As Green and Green drew heavily from Chinese Furniture I think it may be of interest.

Their are few books as well but I need to have a closer look.

Their is actually some information on the Chinese Influence on Australian furniture making especially in Victoria, as many Chinese who came to work the gold field in Victoria where from Souther China and after the gold ran out many turned to furniture making as a trade because of their experience in Southern China as furniture makers (southern China was a major production centre for all of China). It was also interesting to read how the Chinese were not allowed to join the Furniture Union and how they were discriminated against by law.

Carry Pine - the said

old dresser that had a mark inside one of the drawers

- This actually stems from the discrimination laws which stated that any shop that had more then x amount of Chinese labour in it had to mark its furniture with just such a sticker. This backfired eventually as these stickers chinese items came to be seen as better made. Thus increasing the items value.

I will dig up the info again.

Yes the HNT Gordon planes look more and more interesting the more I work in Australian Timbers.

Undulations, depressions and hollows, not a flat surface to be seen...?

It would appear I've been making Chinese furniture for years without knowing it. Just not with so much of the "Zen."

The pinned box joint is something I came across a few years back, used on an old tool chest of unknown heritage, and I experimented with it for a while before settling on my own... "Shaker/Colonial style" of doing things... and promptly forgetting about it. May have to reconsider now that you've reminded me of it; 'tis a simple way of adding a bit of decoration now that I'm moving away from austere.

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

..................This actually stems from the discrimination laws which stated that any shop that had more then x amount of Chinese labour in it had to mark its furniture with just such a sticker. This backfired eventually as these stickers chinese items came to be seen as better made. Thus increasing the items value..............

Makes sense, I've got an old silky oak side board that I restored which has stamped in ink on the back of one of the drawers "made with european labour". Beautiful timber, but really badly built piece, it was splitting apart as long grain pieces had been fixed across end grain

Mick

Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

Makes sense, I've got an old silky oak side board that I restored which has stamped in ink on the back of one of the drawers "made with european labour". Beautiful timber, but really badly built piece, it was splitting apart as long grain pieces had been fixed across end grain

Mick

Here is the furniture making industry article from the Chinese museum.

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

Here is the furniture making industry article from the Chinese museum.

Thanks for that, interesting reading. I was told that the stamp on mine about Eurpean Labour dated it to the 1930's, but this article seems to suggest otherwise. It does have machine cut dovetails on the drawers though, don't know if that helps date it more accurately.

Mick

Where abouts in Melb was the shop Thumbsucker? Was it the one in Clifton Hill? I'd like to have a look next time I'm in Melbourne. Usually go down there for the fringe furniture exhibition.

Originally Posted by fletty

I can recommend the book by Gustav Ecke, I can't remember the title but will post tonight, and it illustrates just how all of the joinery fits together.

Fletty its called " Chineese Domestic Furniture" and if anyone has Fine Woodworking Issue 175, they will read a review of it. A beautifull and inspiring book.

The person i most admire is James Krenov and his style of furniture making has deep Chineese roots. His furniture is almost perfect in its imperfection.

Great topic Thumb

Hey Thumbsucker:

I really enjoyed your post and the thought that others interspersed.

THANKS..........that was a good read ..........Neil

Originally Posted by AlexS

Where abouts in Melb was the shop Thumbsucker? Was it the one in Clifton Hill? I'd like to have a look next time I'm in Melbourne. Usually go down there for the fringe furniture exhibition.

It is the one in the little trendy strip of Northcote on high street, between Westgarth and Candy Street.

I do not know of a Chinese furniture shop in Clifton Hill. Maybe you are thinking of the Northcote one, right next to each other.

The person i most admire is James Krenov and his style of furniture making has deep Chinese roots. His furniture is almost perfect in its imperfection.

Ditto Lignum

To continue the discussion I made more observations about some of the design elements used. I am not sure if these design elements are common outside china but I have never seen them before so it maybe of interest.

One of the draws I pulled out had an interesting feature, the side face draws were about 25% longer then the draw bottom. This meant that you could pull the draw all the way out to see all of the draw content without risking tipping the draw out as you dig around.

Another interesting find was the draw bottoms, one piece had draw bottoms unlike any I had ever seen. The draw bottom was recessed into a groove. The trick was that the draw bottom was mould with a type of Base Cap moulding This allows the draw bottom to be heavy and strong and it also wedges it in tightly into the groves. It also gave the draw a feeling of being substantial.

Finally were the locks - reminding me of the Krenov latch. The feeling of wood against wood is nice. You can see an example of it Here. Its so simple but it works. Just assemble a self wedging bar inside the cabinet handles.