During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Chinese furniture reached a pinnacle of exceptional design and meticulous workmanship. Beyond the Screen leads the reader on a journey that encompasses not only the evolution of these exquisite furnishings, but also includes the many literary, architectural and visual contexts in which they were created. Alongside 64 superb color photographs of the furniture itself, numerous Ming woodblock prints and literary excerpts show how furniture was used in daily life--as everything from a lover's hiding place to a projectile thrown during arguments. A vital response to the West's increasing interest in traditional Chinese furniture, this beautifully produced volume is both an illustration of the aesthetic possibilities of furniture design and a fascinating look at China during the early modern period.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fine Book on Fine Furniture,
By A Customer
This review is from: Beyond the Screen: Chinese Furniture of the 16th and 17th (Hardcover)
BEYOND THE SCREEN is an apt title; it describes this book both literally and metaphorically. Nancy Berliner and fourcontributing writers dissect both the life and furniture of sixtheen and seventeenth China in a work that combines art, craft and social history. My husband, an amateur woodworker, was fascinated with descriptions of workmanship and digrams of joinery. I preferred the sections that talked about the people -- both the craftsmen (usually anonymous) that made the furniture and the elite who commissioned it. But the focus point of the book is undoubtedly the photographs of the furniture itself -- some pieces which are classically simple, others that are intricately carved. Berliner comments at length on each piece. For collectors of antique Chinese furniture -- or reproductions -- this book is an absolute must-have. It gives the story behind the craft and makes sitting down so much more interesting!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great resource for Chinese furniture,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Beyond The Screen (Paperback)
This is an excellent book for someone new to Chinese period furniture. I am an amateur furniture maker and my focus is generally 14th to 20th Century Anglo-American, but I was introduced to Chinese furniture at a seminar and found it quite fascinating. This was one of the books the presenter recommended. It contains several separate papers that cover a range of topics starting with the cultural context, the wood selection, tools and techniques and finally a representative selection of pieces in beautiful full color. The book was well worth getting.
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