- Size: 31.5 (L) x 26 (W) cm
- Binding: Hardback, 304 pages
- Language: English
- Author: Michael P. Dunn
- Publisher: Michael P. Dunn, 2004
A collection of over one hundred and thirty portraits of Chinese furniture, of domestic examples inspired by court taste, but rendered in vernacular fashion from a variety of woods and organized by category from seating practicalities to cabinets. The illustrations focus on furniture constructed of what the Chinese refer to as 'soft woods’, the native timbers that for centuries were the construction material for domestic furniture making throughout China. This furniture tends to be more interpretive and often more whimsical than courtly prototypes. Showcased are a range of samplings, usually less staid than formal examples fashioned from exotic hardwoods, rather they are the 'soft wood' furniture that has, until relatively recently, been largely overlooked.