Classic Chinese furniture is unique for many reasons, including its exquisite carvings, rare woods and joinery. Each type has joints that are suited for the particular strains and stresses that will be placed on it.
Understanding joinery and construction further enhances the connoisseurship of Chinese hardwood furniture.
An almost infinite combination of joints is possible in Chinese furniture. Familiarity with the major types and typical pplications is essential for anyone interested in Chinese furniture. It is important to remember that joinery should be consistent, and construction logical. If it is not , there is a good possibility that the object is a copy or that it has been altered.
The most basic joint in Chinese cabinet making is the mortise and tenon.
A mortise is a cut-out receptacle. A projection from the piece to be attached fits into the mortise.
There are many types of mortise-and-tenon joints. In the most basic - the butt-joined mortise and tenon - the ends of both the members to be joined are squared. If the ends are cut at an angle, it is called a mitered joint. A joint can be mitered on only one side or on both sides.
To the aesthetically inclined observer, the study of joinery may seem at first an unusual approach, yet the techniques employed play an important part in the overall effect.
The animation and harmony experienced when viewing masterpieces is often the result of a unity that lies beneath the surface members are not only connected together to form a functional object, but also manifest integrated conceptualization. Techniques of wood joinery were born from an ancient technological culture and developed through continuous evolution of timber architectural systems. Further heights of sophistication and refinement were reached during the Ming and early Qing dynasties along with the manufacture of hardwood furniture.
The 'frame-and-panel' evolved as a more efficient use of material, and is typical of most panels in Chinese furniture, whether tabletop, door, or cabinet panel. The frame is joined with mitered, mortise-and-tenon joints. A groove is cut around the upper, inside edge of the frame, while the panel is shaped with a corresponding tongue around its outside edge.
This 'tongue-and-groove' system secures the panel within the frame without glue or nails and permits the panel to float within the frame to accommodate its slight expansion and contraction due to changes in humidity.
Additionally, transverse braces¡ªwhose number depends on the length of the panel¡ªslide into shallow dovetail housings cut into the bottom of the panel, both supporting the thin panel and preventing its warping.
