Ming-style furniture with three-point material and seven-point technology

 

On November 17, Zhang Dexiang and Curtis re-engraved 16 pieces of gold-wood nanmu-style furniture in Jiade's autumn auction with a high price of more than 22 million yuan. Zhang Dexiang believes that only with outstanding craftsmanship matching precious wood can he create furniture treasures handed down from generation to generation.

 

 

["Although it cannot be said that the work plan chosen by the ancient artisans was the only correct one, it was indeed an extremely delicate and wise choice at the time."]

 

Anyone who knows a thing or two about Ming-style furniture should be unaware of the Luohan bed. But most people may not know that the seemingly square, simple and simple Luohan bed has hidden mysteries. For the best-made bed, the junction between the side fence and the rear wall panel must be aligned with the corner of the frame of the bed; for example, its three-sided wall panel should look like a rising posture, and The upper edge of the corresponding enclosure should also be slightly arched. In addition, the legs and feet of the bed must not only appear bulky in proportion, but also must be slightly outward to form a stable undercarriage together with the thick and thick dental plates.

 

"The structure of the Arhat bed is still relatively simple in Ming-style furniture. It seems simple and rustic, but no matter the proportion, structure, or every inch of craftsmanship, there are many subtle details, and it is quite difficult to imitate." In the eyes of collector Zhang Dexiang , Ming-style furniture is “simple but not simple”. The improper proportions in some inconspicuous details may result in regrets that are insignificant and absurd.

 

However, in the modern furniture collection industry, as well as in the classical furniture manufacturing industry, the phenomenon of heavy materials and light craftsmanship is everywhere. In the words of Zhang Dexiang: "The degree of arrogance is rigid, people can't help but watch the fire." Recently, Invited by Beijing Nan Study, he and American collector Curtis, together with Wang Shixiang's "Study on Ming-style Furniture" and the real furniture of the Ming Dynasty, used hand-made engravings with golden silk nanmu as the material, including three-screen single-board enclosures 16 classic Ming-style furniture including Luohan couch.

 

Both are disciples of Wang Shixiang, the "first player in Beijing", and they are also friends. "The purpose of our re-engraving of Ming-style antique furniture is to let more people understand the superb craftsmanship behind Ming-style furniture and the wisdom heritage left by the ancients. This is also the original intention of Wang Shixiang to study furniture." Zhang Dexiang said. On November 17th, these 16 pieces of golden silk Phoebe Ming-style furniture appeared in Jiade's autumn auction "The Beauty Has Been Long-The Study of Golden Phoebe in Nan Study". The works were all taken away by collectors and sold at a high price of 22.12 million yuan.

 

"Wood is afraid of round"

 

"Porcelain is afraid of squares, wood is afraid of roundness", Wang Shixiang's mantra has always been on his lips, in Zhang Dexiang's opinion is not a lie. He admitted that the most difficult thing in this re-engraving is the two pieces of round furniture-the five-legged inner roll and the Shuangyuedong door-style door cover canopy bed.

 

"At that time, Mr. Wang Shixiang's house collected a five-footed inner scented table made of Huanghua pear, which is now hidden in the Shanghai Museum." Zhang Dexiang recalled that the scented table he saw in Wang Shixiang's house was thick and mellow, and could not be seen in the whole body. To a stiff straight line. "Although the volume is not large, in terms of roundness, the craftsmanship is very high." Whether he can completely imitate the craftsmanship of ancient craftsmen to achieve smooth and roundness, Zhang Dexiang was not completely sure. He first used pine wood, poplar wood and other soft woods similar to the wild wood of Jinnan to make large samples. After many experiments, he found out the doorway.

 

"The craftsmen used in ancient times were very clever. They first used the sash to install the board, and created a flat and soft 'water barrier' on the surface of the incense table. When shaping, the bottom of the panel of the incense table was slightly raised, so that The dental plate swelled naturally, forming a protruding yang line at the edge. "Zhang Dexiang explained the legs of Xiang Ji, and at this step, the craftsmen went all the way to" go down "and let Xiang Ji's legs from the shoulders. The following bulges outwards, then rolls inwards to form a hemisphere, and finally falls steadily on the supporting mud. Zhang Dexiang believes that such ingenious craftsmanship is difficult to achieve even with modern mechanical tools.

 

The canopy bed, which is much larger than Xiangji, is surprisingly complicated. On page 192 of Wang Shixiang's "Research on Ming-style Furniture", there is a clear and complete picture of the Shuangyuedong door-style door cover canopy bed. The door covers, side enclosures and hanging eaves on the bed are evenly covered with hollow "Begonia Cross" and "Lantern Brocade", which are not only exquisite and transparent, but also the gorgeous visual effects of Huahua are quite rich and joyful.

 

Many people think that these complicated hollow patterns are directly carved out by the craftsmen on the wood. However, after observation and repeated scrutiny, the team of Zhang Dexiang discovered that all the lines were actually “spliced”. "For a small begonia lattice, it is necessary to use four pieces of wood to interlock with the structure of the tenon and mortise and shoulders, and then chisel and dig around to form a 'cross bark'." Zhang Dexiang calculated before preparing to re-engrave For a single account, just a "cross bark" contains the structure of four tenons and eight mortises and 36 saw cuts. According to this calculation, the production of the whole bed has nearly 3,000 large and small parts and more than 4,000 sets of tenon and mortise structures. The number is staggering, and it is difficult to calculate the time required for grinding and production.

 

But the ancients used this workmanship at the time. "Like the ancients, all the patterns are made of wood, and the expansion and contraction of the wood under the influence of temperature and climate are completely negligible, and this structure can withstand all kinds of external forces and is durable." Zhang Dexiang found after verification, "The ancients used this legal system Not only do you use the best materials, but also take into account the solidity of the bed frame. "If they use a whole piece of wood to carve a cluster of flowers, the horizontal stubble seems to be done in one go, but under the erosion of thermal expansion and contraction and external forces, it is easy Cracked and broken, "beautiful but not tossed".

 

"Seven Point Craft"

 

The ancients have a jargon about furniture collection: three-point material and seven-point craft. In fact, this is also the judgment standard of the international community on the collection of classical furniture. The reason why Ming-style furniture can become the pinnacle in the history of furniture manufacturing in China and the world depends not only on precious wood, but also on the various factors such as curvature, proportion, structure, volume, etc. And the delicate scrutiny of the relationship between them.

 

Curtis thought deeply about this. During his seven years as director of the "Chinese Classical Furniture Museum" in California, he refused a batch of wood that was extremely particular about the craftsmanship, but the craftsmanship was very clumsy. "Some people think it's a pity, but my reason is very simple. The clumsy workmanship is the failure of these furniture and the reason why they can't be regarded as antiques." In the process of this engraving, although Curtis was not responsible for making round furniture, But the manufacturing process of furniture such as a plate-type foot multi-layer grid still impressed him.

 

Compared with the Luohan bed, Xiangji, and the shelf bed, the structure of the multi-layer lattice seems to be simpler. "But you need to know that its board feet and ruler boards are both made in the middle of the double-layer board by wearing a belt, and the labor and material need not be elaborated." What surprises Curtis is that he is in Georgia. The connection between the frame and the grid, and the grid and the grid are all in the form of grid angle raglan, that is, the front and back sides are mutually tenoned and mortised. As a result, nearly a hundred tongues and mortises are related to each other. "As long as there is a tenon and mortar that has not been found, it will affect the overall effect. 'Let's move and move the whole body', in your Chinese words, it is 'all losers'." Curtis recalled the entire re-engraving process, The beads of sweat on the head are slightly light.

 

"Appreciating classical furniture, you must calm down and take the time to figure out carefully." Zhang Dexiang said frankly, in the whole process of engraving, he and Curtis must often imagine themselves as artisans living in ancient times, leaving the surface flashy Only thinking about the most essential issues-not only to save wood, but also to allow the work to withstand the test of time and various external forces. In the end, they realized the mystery. "Although it cannot be said that the workmanship scheme chosen by the ancient artisans was the only correct one, it was indeed an extremely delicate and wise choice at the time."

 

Of course, in the process of engraving, Zhang Dexiang and Curtis also made some changes to the details. For example, in the process of engraving the back-to-back senior hat chair of the frame back panel, Zhang Dexiang increased the number of materials and the degree of rigidity on the basis of strictly imitating the originals, in order to make the chair look more upright and proper, Close to the aesthetic standards of modern people. "Taking its essence and removing its dross is the philosophy that contemporary people should uphold and adhere to when re-engraving classical furniture." Zhang Dexiang said, "So, the exquisite workmanship and civilization crystallization left by the predecessors will not shrink in the hands of future generations. Decline and be forgotten. "Zhang Dexiang believes that only by distinguishing craftsmanship with precious woods, can he finally create furniture treasures handed down from generation to generation. (Editor: Peter)

 

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