Product Review

An ideal commingling of exquisite and often rare materials, perfection in craftsmanship and exceptional purity of line are what place Ming design, particularly in furniture, at the zenith of Chinese art. MING FURNITURE IN THE LIGHT OF CHINESE ARCHITECTURE is the first book to show the essential kinship between Ming furniture and the buildings they were designed to be placed and used within. Sarah Handler’s special perspective sheds a luminous glow on the concepts of interior and exterior form, function, placement, and purpose and reveals the inextricably intertwined relationship of Ming furniture to Chinese architecture. Decoration, construction, and function come together into a harmonious and indivisible whole, just as the Chinese artisans envisioned. With 50 black-and-white architectural drawings and 60 full-color photos illustrating spectacular examples of Ming furniture from private and museum collections around the world. The first book to place Ming furniture design within the context of Chinese architectural intent.