I thought a little visual intermission might be in order, after all the geometry and discussion of phi. In an earlier post someone wrote a comment asking about the carving on that kaidan dansu I made, and I remarked that Chinese furniture carving of the classic periods leaves my work absolutely in the dust. It is the quality of work I seek to achieve, and I know the path is VERY long to get there. For now, I content myself with admiration.
So, here’s a few examples of what I mean. First a superb Horseshoe rail armchair, in Zitan:
And some details:
Here’s a different chair, a ‘Fan-shaped Southern Official’s Hat Armchair’:
And a close up of the carving on the back splat, a popular motif in China and Japan, the Peony:
And here are a pair of fairly extensively carved cabinet doors, in huang-huali (a kind of Rosewood):
And a close up:
Japanese furniture is a bit bereft of carving, however Japanese traditional architecture, especially temples, show an abundance of carved work. These are done by specialists in carving, not the temple carpenters themselves – some of these pieces must take months, if not years to complete (let’s not ask about the cost shall we?):
And a close up of one of the panels, each of which is different, and shows an isometric perspective view:
Look above the Shrimp Beam:
And finally, have you ever seen a better dragon than this one?:
Not to mention the superb rendering of a boiling sea. The jewel the dragon holds in its paw, the positioning of the dragon in the space, the use of empty space – superb work I think!
I could go on, but that should give reader an idea of the high standards in woodwork to be found in some of China and Japan’s best pieces of work.