Black wood kang bed with openwork carvings of bamboo-knot and grape patterns, a cloud stone (marble) inlay, waistband, and S-curved legs (Qing Dynasty)Guangzhou Museum
The Guangzhou Museum houses a significant collection of Cantonese furniture. Over 150 individual pieces and sets of exquisite furniture made between the early Qing Dynasty and Republic of China periods are currently on display. This collection is divided into six major categories: tables, chairs and stools, desks, beds, cabinets and shelves, and screens. The primary materials used are precious woods such as teak, Pontianak wood, and black wood.
This collection, with its craftsmanship and stylistic characteristics, is a valuable repository of Cantonese furniture, showcasing the evolution of styles and techniques over centuries. Guangzhou's strategic location near the South China Sea and Southeast Asia's rich hardwood resources, along with its long history of foreign trade, have all contributed to its prominence as a center for furniture production, giving rise to a unique and distinctive style.
Four-panel redwood screen with dragon-pattern openwork carvings and frames inlaid with Guangzhou-style embroidered motifs of flowers and birdsGuangzhou Museum
During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty in particular, Cantonese furniture was recognized as one of China's three major furniture styles, along with the Suzhou and Beijing styles. Emperor Qianlong specifically ordered Guangzhou craftsmen to the palace to make his furniture. Guangzhou craftsmen worked with precious woods imported from South and Southeast Asia, and employed various techniques, including Western Baroque and Rococo decorative techniques.
Black wood square table
This square table with cloud and dragon reliefs has a flat panel frame with an inset board on the top. The waistband is recessed beneath the table top, with ridges above and below. All four sides have aprons with cloud and dragon reliefs. It stands on S-curved legs with tiger-claw feet, each of which rests on a foot support.
Black wood table and stool set
The circular table top has a framed edge and white marble inlay, with a waistband beneath, embellished with an apron featuring droplet-shaped pierced carvings. At the lower inward bends, the S-curved legs are separated by plain cross pieces (also made of rounded wood). A plain panel beneath the cross pieces is connected to them with an engraved carving of auspicious lotus flowers, accented by cloud-shaped adornments. The table is accompanied by four stools.
Rosewood armchair and side table set
This is a set of four armchairs and two side tables. The backs of the armchairs are divided into three panels, inset with marble inside each frame. The left and right panels are lower and narrower than the central panel. The back half of the armrests are also inset with marble, while the front half has upturned hooks at a level below the back half. The seats of the chairs are inset with woven rattan mats inside the frame.
Black wood armchair
The back of the chair is intricately carved with interlocking patterns, and has a circular marble inset in the center of the frame. The armrests feature openwork carvings of auspicious vase and plum-blossom motifs, and the piece is covered in inlaid mother-of-pearl patterns of flowers and the Chinese character "shou" (longevity). The seat is lined with woven rattan mats. Beneath the seat are a waistband and apron adorned with openwork carvings of plum-blossom motifs.
Black wood Xingong chair
The back of the chair has a crest rail shaped like the head of a ruyi scepter, with openwork scroll patterns along the pillars and inner edges. The openwork carving on the back panel depicts flourishing gourds. The lower edges of the armrests are turned inward into hollowed-out hooks, held together with short tenons. The seat is grooved and inlaid with a panel to create a flat surface.
Diamond-shaped black wood chair
This chair has a high back and a plain crest rail, with armrests connected to it horizontally, giving it a circular shape. A single upright pillar connects the rear leg to the center of the backrest, which is supported by connecting crossbars on either side. The side legs are connected to the seat and armrests in a streamlined gooseneck shape on both sides. The seat is grooved with panel inserts that are recessed with a slightly raised center, creating a diamond shape.
Chinese rosewood revolving armchair
This revolving armchair is made of huanghuali wood. Its backrest consists of three vertical panels with hollowed-out lotus branch patterns, and the Piliao-style armrests are semi-circular in shape. The goosenecks are curved and the seat is concave. Below the seat are four S-curved legs and a rotating support, which allows the chair to rotate left and right, and tip forward and backward.
High rosewood desk with Western-style lotus pattern carvings
The desk's surface is inset with a board framed by a raised edge to prevent water spills. The straight legs end in inward-curving feet with rectangular patterns, which are supported by foot supports adorned with turtle feet. Crafted in Guangzhou during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, this desk is a fusion of Chinese and Western styles, incorporating decorative elements inspired by Western Rococo furniture.
Hexagonal black wood desk
The desk's hexagonal top consists of a red vein stone inlay inside a frame. Underneath the desk top, the waistband and swollen aprons are adorned with engraved gourd and plum-blossom patterns. The S-curved legs are carved in the bamboo-node style, and feature high-relief gourd carvings. The legs are joined at the lower end by intersecting straight braces, mortised with a circular disk in the center. The feet are stylized as animal paws.
Pontianak wood desk
The top of the desk is grooved and inlaid with a panel. The large edges on the left and right curl downward, with rectangular openings on the side, while the inner frame has a bamboo-knot pattern with a smooth surface. The ends of the sides resemble rolled-up scrolls, with a smooth bamboo-knot pattern. There is a plain, straight panel beneath the desk top, and plain sword-shaped legs with bamboo-knot patterns. The feet resemble sheep's hooves.
Black wood kang bed with openwork carvings
This bed has a triple-screen design. The back screen's upright columns connect to the canopy's round arch, which has a smooth surface and bamboo-knot style. The canopy is intricately carved with grapevines and bamboo, and the back screen's central section is inset with marble in a circular frame, with grapevines and bamboo knots carved on either side. The side screens are designed to resemble chair armrests, and are intricately carved with grapevines.
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