The Rich History of Oriental Furniture

All countries have their very own distinctive style. Even within the country, regions have their own unique identity. Many of the countries were in fact divided into small kingdoms and only in the last century, most have become nation states.

Japanese furniture

Japanese furniture is extremely functional and minimalist in nature. It has very little ornamentation or carving. It’s solid and is more modern than other Oriental furniture. It can fit in with almost all decors and with any style of the room. These are some of the other features of Japanese furniture.

It has simple features and the grains of the wood are visible and very fine. Oriental furniture of Japan is famed for its joinery. The cabinets from Japan are made of solid wood and can be easily stacked. They are made of elm, gingko and kiri wood. The ornamentation on drawers was hand forged iron pieces.

Korean Oriental furniture

Oriental furniture from Korea is different from Japanese Oriental furniture. The furniture is more ornamental and gracious and has more intricately carved patterns. Solid pieces which are more functional in nature are also available from Korea. Beautiful forged iron hardware for drawers and chests are also available.

Other features present in Korean Oriental furniture are the use of symbolism. Koreans are quite religious and pay attention to a variety of auspicious signs and symbols. Auspicious signs and symbols such as turtles, cranes and butterflies find frequent appearance in many of the pieces.

Ornamental furniture from Korea also has many ornamental chests which were built especially for the use of the ladies of the house. They were side chest drawers, blanket chests and dressers. These look very feminine and took on many of the feminine features and symbols that were displayed vividly on the chest. Of course the kitchen had very utilitarian chests such as the rice chest and grain chest

Chinese Oriental furniture

Chinese were by far exceptional artisans and had mastered their art of design and ornamentation. Chinese pieces are extremely decorative. Even simple chairs and drawers have been finished with great perfection. The Oriental furniture of China uses a lot of lacquer, hand painting and lots of carving. Many of the carvings, symbols and hand paintings depict scenes from day to day life, the royal court, natural sceneries and of course traditional and abstract symbols.

Chinese furniture is large and has lots of lacquer and carving. They have minimal hardware. They are also quite heavy. Tables are very heavy and their legs have many styles. They were also very low as sitting on chairs wasn’t a common practice. People were served by servants on low tables. Chairs were more for formal occasions and for the royal courts. They were extremely ornate and had a variety of styles. The Oriental furniture of China differed from region to region. While in the south, it was more ornate, in the north, it was more utilitarian.

Oriental furniture can’t be categorized as there are several variations which are all exquisite.