Book Reviews

by Ma Weidu, China Architecture and Building Press

Ever since I saw big doors displayed for the first time, it has been love at first sight. Those familiar with the videos on doors and windows will already have seen some handsome examples. The doors in the video came from Shanxi province, likewise most of the windows. Mr. Ma has collected examples from many other provinces as well.

The first thing you will note about this magnificent book is its size. 15" long, 10 1/2"

Privately Published New York, 1996

These books (a two volume set) deal with furniture acquired by the Hungs with the assistance of Robert H. Ellsworth. Mr. Ellsworth is one of the world's foremost non-Chinese experts in Ming and early Qing furniture. These books contain examples of virtually all the forms of classical Chinese furniture. The photographs are superb, and convey each object's beauty; the text specifies the technical details of construction and carved symbolism. The text...

by Wang Shixiang, Art Media Resources, Ltd, 1991

This book is separated into three parts: the first part discusses the various types of furniture forms and their origin, and woods used in classical furniture. The second and much longer part of the book illustrates various furniture forms. The illustrations are in color and depict some of the finest Chinese furniture ever made. The third part consists of comments about the furniture pictured in the second part. Although there are...

by Curtis Evarts, Published by C. L. Ma Furniture, Hong Kong 1999

I love this book! I love it as it contains three insights that I have not seen elsewhere. First, Ming and Qing furniture were made with woods other than the well known huanghuali, zitan, and chicken wing woods, which are considered "hardwood" in China. Second, there is a difference between the Chinese and Western definitions of "hardwood" and "softwood." "...Western vernacular, wherein "softwood" implies soft...

by Michael Meyer, published by Walker and Company, New York copyright 2008

While exhibiting at the Marion, Massachusetts Antique Show, and also at the Vermont Antique Dealers Association Show in August, 2009, I realized that everything displayed on my walls had been taken from destroyed houses. I had window frames, doors, exquisite wooden carvings, pole signs, and presentation signs, all of which came from destroyed houses. Looking at what I had hanging in my displays became...