The specialists guide to Chinese antiques » Symbolism, Patterns & Motifs

Red star over China – These temple carvings from the cultural revolution era sport politically correct themes

Roger S. — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:00:26 +0000

Stowe Sprague was kind enough to send me these interesting photos on her blog from her visit to the Tulou region of Nanjing county, Fujian province. During her visit to a temple in the town of Taxialou, she noticed the temple’s architectural wood carvings had been replaced with “politically correct themes” rather then the traditional Chinese motifs. Apparently in order to evade destruction during the height of the cultural revolution, its care takers replaced them with more “patriotic ones.”

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The ultimate comprehensive english/Chinese dictionary of chinese furniture vocabulary and terms

Roger S. — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:22:55 +0000

I have seen this list floating around on the internet (though I have no idea where it originally came from). Though some terms are region-specific, its nevertheless very comprehensive with over 450 different terms.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
朵云双螭纹	duǒ yún shuāng chī wén	Cloud surrounded by confronting dragons motif.

In order to make it a bit more user friendly I have a) added Hanyu pinyin pronunciations and b) reorganized the list itself according to specific categories. Trust me when I say this was no easy task! There are also links to pronunciation via the MDBG Chinese-English dictionary wordpress plugin. Though far from perfect, I hope this is a useful guide to anyone working with Chinese antique furniture. The list is broken down as follows:

Decorative Beading and Molding
Patterns, Designs and Motifs
Chinese Joinery Names And Types
Lacquers, Inlays, and Wood Carving
Names of Decorative Openings

Common Names of Chinese Furniture
Hinges, Pulls and Metal Hardware
Legs and Feet Descriptions
Woods and Materials
Other Specialized Terms and Words

Decorative Beading and Molding Names

Chinese	Pinyin	English
冰盘沿	bīng pán yán	Ice-plate edge. General term for allinward-sloping mouldings.
打洼	dǎ wā	Concave moulding; also called aomian or wamian.
灯草线	dēng cǎo xiàn	Beading, a rounded moulding.Dengcao
瓜棱线	guā léng xiàn	Melon-shaped moulding, a ridge-shaped moulding used on legs. (When the leg is seen in section, it resembles the section of a fluted melon.) It is often found on waistless square tables and round-corner cabinets. Also called
剑脊棱	jiàn jǐ léng	Sword-ridge moulding. Moulding which slopes downwards from a central ridge. Lu Ban jing (Lu Ban’s Classic) calls it jianjixian.
拦水线	lán shuǐ xiàn	Water-stopping moulding. High moulding around the edge of a table to prevent spilt water or wine from soiling the user’s clothes.
两柱香	liǎng zhù xiāng	Two-incense-stick beading. Double row of beading down the centre of the leg of a recessed-leg table.
劈料	pī liào	Split moulding. Convex moulding made from a single piece of wood which is usually divided evenly into two (also three or four in late Qing times) segments.
皮条线	pí tiáo xiàn	Leather-strip moulding. Moulding which is rather flat and broad.
皮条线加洼儿	pí tiáo xiàn jiā wā ér	Leather-strip moulding and beaded moulding with concave centre.
起边线	qǐ biān xiàn	Edge beading.
双混面压边线	shuāng hún miàn yā biānxiàn	Double convex moulding with flat edges.
甜瓜棱：	tián guā léng ：	Melon-shaped moulding. See瓜棱线.
洼面	wā miàn	Concave moulding; also aomian or dawa.
委角线	wěi jiǎo xiàn	Indented corner moulding.
线脚	xiàn jiǎo	Moulding. General term for all types of moulding.
弦(xian)纹	xián (xian)wén	String moulding, on round stools.
一炷香	yī zhù xiāng	One-incense-stick beading. Single row of beading down the centre of the leg of a recessed-leg table.
凹面	āo miàn	Concave moulding
亚边线	yà biān xiàn	Flat edges of a moulding.
拧麻花	níng má huā	Twisted rope pattern. Form of moulding resembling a fried dough twist; also called shengwen.
托腮	tuō sāi	Stepped apron moulding. Term used in the Qing Regulations and by craftsmen for a moulding between the waist and the apron, which may be in one with the apron or made from a separate piece of wood.

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Patterns, Designs and Motifs

Chinese	Pinyin	English
圆椅.曲尺栏杆	yuán yǐ .qǔ chǐ lán gān	Railing decorated with carpenter’s-square lattice, which is in the shape of the square used by carpenters to make right angles.
十字枨	shízì chéng	Crossed stretchers.
双套环卡子花	shuāng tào huán qiǎ zǐ huā	Decorative strut in the form of double interlocking circles.
竹节纹	zhú jié wén	Bamboo-shaped.
wan字栏杆	wanzì lán gān	Endless wan motif railing. Railing decorated with continuous pattern of auspicious motifs based on the character wan.
草龙	cǎo lóng	Curling limbed dragon. Stylized dragon pattern in which the legs and tail turn into curls, derived from the curling tendril design.
龙纹	lóng wén	Dragon design.
双凤朝阳	shuāng fèng Cháo yáng	Pair of phoenixes facing the sun.
宝塔纹	bǎo tǎ wén	Pagoda pattern. Term used in Suzhou to describe the natural grain of beech.
罗杰	Luójié	Roger Schwendeman – if you are reading this list on another website, its probably been recopied from the antique-chinese-furniture site.
波纹	bō wén	Wave lattice. Term found in Yuan ye (The Art of the Garden) and also used for furniture.
缠枝莲纹	chán zhī lián wén	Scrolling lotus design.
螭虎闹灵芝	chī hǔ nào líng zhī	Hornless dragons inter-twined with Iingzhi fungus.
螭纹	chī wén	Stylized hornless dragon design.
朵云双螭纹	duǒ yún shuāng chī wén	Cloud surrounded by confronting dragons motif.
风车式	fēng chē shì	Windmill lattice. Patterned on the shape of the windmill motif used in Chinese paper toys.
分心花	fēn xīn huā	Dividing-the-heart motif, the cusp in the middle of an apron.
鼓钉	gǔ dīng	Bosses, the nail motifs on a drum stool.
海棠式	hǎi táng shì	Begonia-shaped.
回纹	huí wén	Angular spirals, based on a motif resembling the archaic form of the character hui , repeated continuously.
井字棂格	jǐng zì líng gé	Well lattice. Lattice of a design centred around the character jing. 井 (well), and its variations.
吉祥草	jí xiáng cǎo	Lucky grass. Leaves forming a round motif which is often found on a decorative strut.
卷草纹	juàn cǎo wén	Curling tendril design.
灵芝纹	líng zhī wén	Lingzhi fungus motif.
满面葡萄	mǎn miàn pútao	Allover grape pattern. Term used in Gegu yaolun (The Essential Criteria of Antiquities) for the pattern on the burl of nan wood.
拧麻花	níng má huā	Twisted rope pattern. Form of mould?ing resembling a fried dough twist; also called shengwen.
品字棂格	pǐn zì líng gé	Alternating-square-openings lattice, the pattern resembling the character pin.
麒麟送子	qí lín sòng zǐ	Boy riding a qilin, an auspicious motif used on wedding paraphernalia in the hope of its auguring the birth of a good child.
曲尺式	qǔ chǐ shì	Carpenter’s-square lattice, in the shape of the square used by carpenters to make right angles.
绳纹	shéng wén	Twisted rope pattern. Form of moulding resembling a fried dough twist; more commonly called ningmahua.
四簇云纹	sì cù yún wén	Four-cloud motif, carved from a board or made by assembling the curved.
团螭纹	tuán chī wén	Stylized hornless dragon design in medallion.
wan字	wan zì	Wan motif. Auspicious motif based on the character wan.
斜wan字	xié wanzì	Slanted wan motif.
仰俯莲纹	yǎng fǔ lián wén	Up-and-down lotus flower design. Ornament consisting of two lotus blossoms, one upright and the other inverted, with the top of their petals touching.
仰俯山字	yǎng fǔ shān zì	Up-and-down mountain design. Ornament consisting of two shun characters
云头纹	yún tóu wén	Cloud-head design, a symmetrical motif.
云纹	yún wén	Cloud design.
攒接	zǎn jiē	Joining the straight. Term used for the method of making a lattice from short straight pieces of wood, placed vertically, horizontally, and sometimes diagonally, and mortised and tenoned together. The resulting lattice may have square or rounded corners.
斗簇围子	dǒu cù wéi zǐ	Luohan bed railing lattice made by assembling the curved; or Luohan bed railing lattice made by assembling the curved together with joining the straight

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Common Names of Chinese Furniture

Chinese	Pinyin	English
藤屉	téng tì	Soft mat seat, made from woven cane. See also ruanti.
瘿木.隐襄	yǐng mù . yǐn xiāng	Cushion.
矮面盆架	ǎi miàn pén jià	Washbasin stand.
矮桌展腿式	ǎi zhuō zhǎn tuǐ shì	Low table with extended legs. Low waisted table which is transformed into a high table by adding round extensionsto the square legs.
案	àn	Recessed-leg table.
半桌	bàn zhuō	Half table, slightly larger than half an eight Immortals [9ImR `tel] table.
宝座	bǎo zuò	Throne, for emperor or god.
宝座式镜台	bǎo zuò shì jìng tái	Throne-type mirror platform.
八仙桌	bā xiān zhuō	Eight Immortals table. Square table suitable for seating eight people.
茶几	chá jī	Tea table. High table derived from the Ming incense table and popular in Qing times.
长凳	cháng dèng	Long bench, general term.
长方凳	cháng fāng dèng	Rectangular stool.
朝衣柜	zhāo yī guì	Court costume cabinet. Compound wardrobe in four parts with side panels. A kind of sijiangui with panels between the doors and outer frames which make the wardrobe wide enough for court costumes to be placed inside without being folded.
插屏式座屏风	chā píng shì zuò píngfeng	Removable-panel screen set in a stand, the panel having tongues which can be slid in and out of grooves in the vertical pillars.
抽屉桌	chōu tì zhuō	Narrow table with drawers.
橱	chú	Cabinet, southern term for gui, which is more current in the north.
床	chuáng	Bed, which in China is used for daytime sitting as well as sleeping. General term for both large and small beds.
床衣镜	chuáng yī jìng	Full-length mirror, a type derived from a screen set into a base which became popular during he Qing dynasty.
春凳	chūn dèng	Large bench. In south China the term refers to a bench for two or more people. Northerners use this term only for a bench for more than two people.
搭板书案	dā bǎn shū àn	Board and stand desk, consisting of a top resting on two separate stands with drawers which originally were not intended to be used apart from the table.
大方扛箱	dà fāng káng xiāng	Large square box carried on a pole. Term used in Lu Ban jing (Lu Ban’s Classic) for a large picnic box.
凳	dèng	Stool. Also wudeng.
灯挂椅	dēng guà yǐ	Lamp-hanger chair. Side chair wkh a high narrow bacic resembling the bamboo lamp hangers commonly used in south China.
顶箱立柜	dǐng xiāng lì jǔ	Compound wardrobe in four parts, consisting of two lower cabinets and two upper cabinets; also called sijiangui.
地平	dì píng	Platform. Large low wooden platform, usually square, placed in a room to hold furniture. When used for an alcove bed it is slightly larger than the bed. Very large ones are for a screen and throne.
都承盘或都丞盘或都盛盘或都珍盘	dōu chéng pán huò dōu chéng pán huò dōu shèng pán huò dōu zhēn pán	Desk tray or desk treasure tray, for holding the treasures (the paraphernalia used in calligraphy and painting) on a scholar’s desk.
二人凳	èr rén dèng	Two-seater bench.
方凳	fāng dèng	Square stool.
方角柜	fāng jiǎo jǔ	Square-corner cabinet. Usually a metal hinged cabinet with very little or no splay, and in which each of the four corners forms a right angle.

方桌	fāng zhuō	Square table. Term refers to tables of various sizes.
扶手椅	fú shǒu yǐ	Armchair.
甘蔗床	gān zhè chuáng	Sugar-cane squeezer.
高面盆架	gāo miàn pén jià	Washbasin stand with towel rack. The two back legs are extended to form the towel rack.
高桌	gāo zhuō	High table.
供案	gōng àn	Recessed-leg altar table.
供桌	gōng zhuō	Corner-leg altar table.
官帽椅	guān mào yǐ	Official’s hat armchair. Term includes the official’s hat armchair with four protruding ends and the southern official’s hat armchair. See also nanguanmaoyi.
官皮箱	guān pí xiāng	Dressing case, usually having a base with drawers, which are often behind doors, and a top consisting of a lidded tray.
鼓墩	gǔ dūn	Drum stool; also called zuodun.
柜	jǔ	Cabinet, northern term for chu, which is more current in the south.
柜塞	jǔ sāi	One-drawer coffer, literally the plug between two cabinets, because the coffer is often placed between a pair of cabinets or compound wardrobes in four parts.
滚凳	gǔn dèng	Roller stool. Stool with movable rollers, used to exercise the feet.
画案	huà àn	Recessed-leg painting table. Large, wide rectangular table without drawers.
画桌	huà zhuō	Corner-leg painting table, a large, wide rectangular table without drawers.
罗杰	Luójié	Roger Schwendeman – if you are reading this list on another website, its probably been recopied from the antique-chinese-furniture site.
胡床	hú chuáng	Barbarian seat. Earliest name for a cross-legged stool. It was imported from the west in the Eastern Han and is the ancestor of the folding stool and the folding armchair.
几	jī	Narrow waistless table, each side of which usually consists of a board meeting the top at right angles.
嫁底	jià dǐ	Trousseau coffer, a common name for a coffer since a bride’s trousseau was placed in it, tied with red strings, and carried to her new home.
架几案	jià jī àn	Trestle table. Long table supported by two separate stands.
架几书案	jià jī shū àn	Wide trestle writing table on stands with drawers.
降真香	jiàng zhēn xiāng	Truth-bringing incense. A type of incense with which huanghuali wood is often compared in old texts.
脚床	jiǎo chuáng	Footstool. Song dynasty name for the footstool in front of chairs and beds. Also jiaota and tachuang.
脚踏	jiǎo tà	Footstool. Also jiaochuang and tachuang.
交杌	jiāo wù	Folding stool; most commonly mazha.
交椅	jiāo yǐ	Folding chair.
架子床	jiàzi chuáng	Canopy bed.
接桌	jiē zhuō	Extension table. When one Eight Immortals table is not enough, a table slightly larger than half its size, similar to a half table, is added to extend it.
镜架	jìng jià	Mirror stand.
镜台	jìng tái	Mirror platform.
镜箱	jìng xiāng	Mirror box.
几腿架格	jī tuǐ jià gé	Shelf supported by two separate stands.
酒桌	jiǔ zhuō	Wine table. Small rectangular table used for wine and food.
炕	kàng	Chair-level bed, which is also sat on during the day, built-in against the wall of a room in north China. It is hollow and made of wood, bricks, or, in poorer house holds, unbaked clay with a brick top. Brick and clay kang can be heated from within. In the case of wooden kang which were used in the palace, the specially-made brick floor of the entire room was heated from underneath.
炕案	kàng àn	Narrow recessed-leg kang table.
炕柜	kàng jǔ	Kang cabinets. Pair of small cabinets placed on the kang.
炕几	kàng jī	Narrow kang table, with either corner legs or solid board legs.
炕桌	kàng zhuō	Wide kang table. The usual proportion of the long to the short sides is three to two.
靠背椅	kào bèi yǐ	Side chair.
栲栳样	kǎo lǎo yàng	Basket back. Song dynasty term referring to the armchair with circular armrest.
kunmen ‘an	kunmen ‘an	Large tables with ornamental openings on four sides. They existed as early as the Tang dynasty, as may be seen in, for example, the painting “The Court Musicians”.
kunmenchuang	kunmenchuang	Box-construction bed, having a box-like base with wide panels containing ornamental openings with cusped upper edges or a single panel with one cusped upper-edge opening
联二橱	lián èr chú	Two-drawer coffer.
亮格	liàng gé	Open shelf.
亮格柜	liàng gé jǔ	Display cabinet, a cupboard with one or more open shelves.
联三橱	lián sān chú	Three-drawer coffer.
六方椅	liù fāng yǐ	Hexagonal-seat chair.
六仙桌	liù xiān zhuō	Six Immortals table. Medium-sized square table.
六柱床	liù zhù chuáng	Six-post canopy bed. Southern name for a canopy bed with front railings.
罗汉床	luóhàn chuáng	Luohan bed. Bed with railings on three sides.
马闸	mǎ zhá	Folding stool. Common term for jiaowu.
玫瑰椅	méiguī yǐ	Rose chair. Small armchair with back and armrests at right angles to the seat. See also wenyi
闷户橱	mèn hù chú	Coffer. General term for a coffer, which may have one, two or three drawers and hidden storage below.
门围子架子床	mén wéi zǐ jiàzi chuáng	Canopy bed with front railings.
面盆架	miàn pén jià	Washbasin stand. Term which includes both the simple washbasin stand and the washbasin stand with towel rack.
面条柜	miàntiáo jǔ	Noodles cabinet. Common name for round-corner cabinet.
木轴门柜	mù zhóu mén jǔ	Wood-hinged cabinet.
南官帽椅	nán guān mào yǐ	Southern official’s hat armchair. Armchair whose back does not have protruding ends.
牛头式椅	niú tóu shì yǐ	Ox head side chair. Chair whose top rail bends backwards resembling the horns of an ox.
拍子式镜台	pāi zi shì jìng tái	Collapsible mirror platform.
屏风	píng fēng	Screen. General term which includes folding screens and screens set in a stand.
屏风式镜台	píng fēng shì jìng tái	Screen-type mirror platform.
平头案	píng tóu àn	Flat-top narrow recessed-leg table, without everted flanges.
翘头案	qiáo tóu àn	Recessed-leg table with everted flanges.
琴桌	qín zhuō	Narrow rectangular table with corner legs; also tiaozhou. This is the moe common meaning of the term and refers to tables of various sizes. Also lute table, a small narrow rectangular table specially made for playing the lute.
七屏风式罗汉床	qī píng fēng shì luó hàn chuáng	Luohan bed with seven-panel screen. Bed whose back and sides have seven panels.
气死猫	qìsǐ māo	Food cupboard, for storing food and kitchen utensils, usually of unfinished wood with lattice on doors and sides. The name means literally vexing the cat.
棋桌	qí zhuō	Chess table, with removable top under which there are usually a double-sided chess board and a board for playing the game of Double Sixes.
筌蹄	quán tí	Hourglass-shaped stool.
圈椅	quān yǐ	Armchair with curved rest; also
如意云抱鼓蕖花站牙	rúyì yún bào gǔ qú huā zhàn yá	Shoe-foot with cloud ends, flower-patterned embracing drums, and standing spandrel. Term used in the Qing Regulations to describe the base of screens and lampstands.
三屏风式罗汉床	sān píng fēng shì luó hàn chuáng	Luohan bed with three-panel screen. Bed whose back and sides have three panels.
上折式交杌	shàng zhé shì jiāo wù	Upward-folding stool.
扇面桌	shàn miàn zhuō	Fan-shaped table. Two can be put together to form a hexagonal table.
食格	shí gé	Food box. Term used in Lu Ban jing (Lu Ban’s Classic) for a medium-sized picnic box.
书案	shū àn	Recessed-leg writing table with drawers.
书橱	shū chú	Book cabinet, Suzhou name for a medium-sized round-corner cabinet.
书格	shū gé	Book shelf, another name for shujia.
书架	shū jià	Book shelf, another name for shuge.
书桌	shū zhuō	Wide corner-leg writing table with drawers.
四出头官帽椅	sì chū tóu guān mào yǐ	Armchair with four protruding ends.
四件柜	sì jiàn jǔ	Compound wardrobe in four parts, con?sisting of two lower cabinets and two upper cabinets; also called dingxiang Iigui.
四仙桌	sì xiān zhuō	Four Immortals table. Small square table suitable for four.
四柱床	sì zhù chuáng	Four-post canopy bed.
榻	tà	Daybed, a light bed without railing.
踏床	tà chuáng	Footstool, a Song dynasty term. Also jiaochuang and jiaota.
绦环板	tāo huán bǎn	Ornamental panel.
条案	tiáo àn	Narrow rectangular table with recessed legs.
条凳	tiáo dèng	Long narrow bench.
条几	tiáo jī	Waistless narrow rectangular table, usually made from three thick boards meeting at right angles.
条桌	tiáo zhuō	Narrow rectangular table with corner legs. See also qinzhuo.
提盒	tí hé	Hand-carried box. Term used by Beijing crafts-men for a small picnic box.
万历柜	wàn lì jǔ	Wanli display cabinet. Display cabinet consisting of a cupboard with open shelf above, resting on a separate low stand. Also called Wanli ge.
围屏	wéi píng	Folding screen.
文椅	wén yǐ	Writing chair. Southern name for rose chair. See meiguiyi.
wu杌凳	wuwù dèng	Stool. Term more commonly used in north China than deng.
五抹（mo）门	wǔ mǒ （mo）mén	Door with five horizontal members.
五屏风式罗汉床	wǔ píng fēng shì luó hàn chuáng	Luohan bed with five-panel screen. Bed whose back and sides have five panels.
箱	xiāng	Chest.
香几	xiāng jī	Incense stand.
小箱	xiǎo xiāng	Small chest.
绣墩	xiù dūn	Embroidery stool, another name for zuodun and gudun (drum stool).
须弥座	xū mí zuò	Buddhist pedestal, a waisted pedestal.
砚屏	yàn píng	lnkstone screen.
药箱	yào xiāng	Medicine chest.
椅	yǐ	Chair
椅凳	yǐ dèng	Seat.
一封书式	yī fēng shū shì	One-part square-corner cabinet. Type of square-corner cabinet, resembling in shape a case (套 ) of traditional Chinese books.
衣架	yījià	Clothes rack.
硬挤门	yìng jǐ mén	Cabinet without a central removable stile.
硬屉	yìng tì	Hard seat. Category of seats which includes wooden and hard mat seats.
圆凳	yuán dèng	Round stool.
圆后背交椅	yuán hòu bèi jiāo yǐ	Folding chair with curved rest.
圆角柜	yuán jiǎo jǔ	Round-corner cabinet. Splayed wood cabinet with hinged doors and rounded-edged top which protrudes beyond the side posts.
圆椅	yuán yǐ	Armchair with curved rest. Term used in Sancai tu hui (Pictorial Encyclopaedia of Heaven, Earth and Man) for 圈椅.
月洞式大床	yuè dòng shì dà chuáng	Large bed with full-moon opening.
月牙桌	yuè yá zhuō	Half-moon table.
折叠式镜台	zhé dié shì jìng tái	Folding mirror platform.
折叠式面盆架	zhé dié shì miàn pén jià	Folding washbasin stand.
折叠榻	zhé dié tà	Folding daybed.
枕凳	zhěn dèng	Bench-shaped pillow.
枕屏	zhěn píng	Pillow screen. Small screen placed on beds.
直后背交椅	zhí hòu bèi jiāo yǐ	Folding side chair.
桌	zhuō	Corner-leg table.
桌案	zhuō àn	Tables. Term referring to both corner-leg and recessed-leg tables.

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Hinges, Pulls and Metal Hardware

Chinese	Pinyin	English
金属饰件	jīn shǔ shì jiàn	Metalwork ornaments.
卧槽平镶	wò cáo píng xiāng	Flush metalwork.
吊牌	diào pái	Metal pull.
合页	hé yè	Metal hinge.
护眼线	hù yǎn xiàn	Hole-protecting coin, a round coin-shaped metal disc used between the metal pivot and the surface of a piece of furniture as a protective device device against abrasion.
拉手	lā shǒu	Pull, of any shape.
面叶	miàn yè	Face plate. Large back plate for pulls and pierced knobs.
扭鼻	niǔ bí	Lock knob. Knob with a hole through which the rod of a lock passes. Also
钮头	niǔ tóu	Pierced knob. Metal knob with hole through which a lock or securing rod passes; found on boxes and cabinets.
拍子	pāizi	Hasp. Hinged racket-shaped metal plate usually used to fasten the lid of a chest.
锁鼻	suǒ bí	See 钮鼻 Lock knob. Knob with a hole through which the rod of a lock passes.
琐销	suǒ xiāo	Lock tongue. The. bolt of a lock which en?gages with the lock receptacle to secure a drawer.
轴钉	zhóu dīng	Metal pivot, the metal rod put through the legs of a folding chair as a pivot.
提环	tí huán	Handle.

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Chinese Joinery Names And Types

Chinese	Pinyin	English
格肩榫	gé jiān sǔn	Double-mitred tenon.
齐肩膀	qí jiānbǎng	Straight shoulder joint. The T-shaped joint of two members, so called because the tenon-bearing piece has a straight edge and is not mitred.
齐牙条	qí yá tiáo	Unmitred joint of apron and leg. The joint used in the form of waisted table in which the two ends of the aprons meet the legs in vertical lines.
抱肩榫	bào jiān sǔn	Embracing-shoulder tenon. A mitred joint used in waisted furniture of the corner-leg construc-tion to attach the leg and apron. A concealed triangular-shaped tenon in the apron fits into a mortise in the leg. Simultaneously a concealed long and vertical dovetailed tenon slides into a mortise in the apron.
边簧	biān huáng	Tongue, on four sides of the floating panel of a table top.
边抹	biān mǒ	Square or rectangular frame, consisting of two sides with tenons and two sides with mortises (.榫眼matou).
插肩榫	chā jiān sǔn	Inserted shoulder joint. One of the essential joints of the recessed-leg construction. The upper part of the leg is split to form two tenoned pieces; the front one is made shoulder-like so that it can be inserted into cavities in the apron. When the joint is in place the surfaces of leg and apron are flush.
穿带	chuān dài	Penetrating transverse brace, which fits into a groove in the floating panel.
攒牙子	zǎn yá zǐ	Apron or apron and spandrel made by joining the straight.
攒边打槽装板	zǎn biān dǎ cáo zhuāng bǎn	Assembling a mortised-and-tenoned frame with floating panel. This is done by first making a groove all around the inner edge of the frame and then inserting the tongue of the panel.
罗杰	Luójié	Roger Schwendeman – if you are reading this list on another website, its probably been recopied from the antique-chinese-furniture site.
大边	dà biān	Tenon-bearing frame member. If the frame is rectangular the term refers to the two long pieces with tenons; if square, it indicates the two tenon-bearing members; if round, each piece is called a dabian.
带	dài	Transverse brace, which always connects the tenon-bearing frame members. General term which includes the penetrating transverse brace and the curved transverse brace.
带口	dài kǒu	Dovetailed groove for the penetrating trans-verse brace on the back of a floating panel.
斗簇	dǒu cù	Assembling the curved, a term for the method of making a lattice unit from large or small curved pieces of wood joined together by loose tenons.
勾挂垫榫	gōu guà diàn sǔn	Hook-and-plug tenon joint, used to attach a giant’s arm brace to the leg. The slightly hooked tenon is secured in the mortise by a small block of wood placed beneath it.
挂销	guà xiāo	Hanger tenon. Dovetail-shaped tenon on the top of a leg on which to hang the apron, usually as long as the apron.
活销	huó xiāo	Loose tenon.
假三上	jiǎ sān shàng	Pseudo thrice attached. See zhenliangshang.
夹头榫	jiā tóu sǔn	Elongated bridle joint. This and the inserted shoulder joint are the two basic joints of the recessed-leg construction. The top of the leg has tenons, fitting into mortises in the tenon-bearing frame of the top, and a slot, into which the apron and apron-head spandrel can be inserted. Sometimes there are false elongated bridlejoints, with the outward appearance of an elongated bridle joint but constructed in other ways.
臼窝	jiù wō	Door pivot mortise.
龙凤榫	lóng fèng sǔn	Tongue-and-groove joint, in which a long dovetail-shaped mortise and tenon is used to join two long boards. Literally dragon-and-phoenix joint.
抹头	mǒ tóu	Mortise-bearing frame member. If the frame is rectangular the term refers to the two short pieces with mortises; if square, it indicates the pieces with mortises. On the thick top boards of most trestle tables there is a matou at each end but no tenon-bearing frame member. In this instance the tenons, and sometimes also a tongue, are on the top board itself. Sometimes an everted flange is made from the same piece of wood. Also a short horizontal frame member, connecting the two long verfical members of a screen, partition or door.
闷榫	mèn sǔn	Hidden tenon.
门轴	mén zhóu	Door pivot of a round-corner cabinet. It is the tenon-bearing frame member of the door extended outward, upward and downward to fit into mortises in the top and the stretcher below.
面心	miàn xīn	Floating panel, inset in a frame.
明榫	míng sǔn	Exposed tenon.
榫槽	sǔn cáo	Groove, such as that in which the tongue of a floating panel is inserted.
榫卯	sǔn mǎo	Mortise and tenon.
楔(xie)钉榫	xiē (xie)dīng sǔn	Peg tenon joint, used on curved members.
银锭榫	yín dìng sǔn	Dovetailed tenon.
栽榫	zāi sǔn	Planted tenon. Tenon which is not made from the same piece of wood as the member but is a separate piece fitted into the member.
扎榫	zhā sǔn	Slide lock tenon. Southern name for zouma-xiao (running horse tenon).
粽角榫	zòng jiǎo sǔn	Mortise-and-tenon joint at which three square members meet at one corner. Name derived from the resemblance of the joint to the corners of parcels of sticky rice wrapped in leaves which are eaten at the Dragon Boat Festival.
走马销	zǒu mǎ xiāo	Running horse tenon. Planted tenon which is tapered and stepped at one end. It is inserted in the larger end of the mortise and slid to the smaller end, thereby locking the joint. To separate the two members the tenon must be pushed back to the large end of the mortise. See also zasun.

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Legs and Feet Descriptions

Chinese	Pinyin	English
侧脚	cè jiǎo	Splayed legs. Term borrowed from ancient architecture (where it describes the splay of pillars at the base) to describe the slight splay of furniture legs at their base.
鼓腿	gǔ tuǐ	Bulging leg.
鼓腿彭牙	gǔ tuǐ péng yá	Convex apron and bulging leg ending in a horse-hoof foot. Term used by Beijing cabinetmakers and in the Qing Regulations.
亮脚	liàng jiǎo	Brightening-the-feet opening, found on the bottom of chair splats, and under folding screens and railings of Luohan beds.
马蹄	mǎ tí	Horse-hoof foot, which may be inward or outward curving.
马蹄边	mǎ tí biān	Horse-hoof edge.
撇腿	piě tuǐ	Frontward-curving legs; also called xianglutui (incense burner legs).
蜻蜓腿	qīng tíng tuǐ	Dragonfly leg, the long slender cabriole legs of incense stands.
三弯腿	sān wān tuǐ	Cabriole leg, an S-shaped leg ending in an outward-curving horse-hoof foot.
外翻马蹄	wài fān mǎ tí	Outward-curving horse-hoof foot. Type of foot which often terminates a cabriole leg.
香炉腿	xiāng lú tuǐ	Frontward-curving legs in the manner of legs on incense burners; also called 撇腿.
挖缺	wā quē	Carpenter’s-square leg. Leg from which about one-half is cut away from the inside so that in cross-section it resembles a carpenter’s square. This type of leg preserves more traces of the platform construction than legs terminating in horse-hoof feet.
直足	zhí zú	Straight leg. Leg without a horse-hoof foot.
抱鼓	bào gǔ	Embracing drums. The drum-shaped elements at the top of a shoe-foot used to hold the spandrels of screens, clothes racks and lampstands in position.

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Lacquers, Inlays, and Wood Carving Names

Chinese	Pinyin	English
浮雕	fúdiāo	Relief carving.
浮雕透雕结合	fú diāo tòu diāo jiéhé	Relief and openwork carving. Term used when both types of decoration occur in a single piece.
开光	kāi guāng	Medallion, which may be empty or filled with carving or a recessed wood or stone panel.
断纹	duàn wén	Crack patterns, the fortuitous designs formed of small cracks on the surface of aged lacquer.
半槽地	bàn cáo dì	Half-and-half relief. The most common type of relief carving with relief and ground occupying about the same amount of space.
铲地浮雕	chǎn dì fú diāo	Relief carving on smoothed ground.
雕刻	diāo kè	Carving.
剑脊线践金	jiàn jǐ xiàn jiàn jīn	Gold designs hammered into iron.
践银	jiàn yín	Silver designs hammered into iron.
锦地浮雕	jǐn dì fú diāo	Relief carving on diaper ground.
款彩	kuǎn cǎi	The technique often used to decorate folding screens whereby lacquer is applied overall to a flat surface, and in areas within the outlines of the design a layer of lacquer is dug out and the resulting cavity is filled in with coloured lacquer or oil paint. Term used in Xiushilu (A Record qf Lacquer Art) for what antique dealers call dadiaotian.大雕填 In the West, such pieces were known first as Bantam work, after the Dutch East India Company’s port in Java, and from the 19th century as Coromandel lacquer, after the port on the southeast coast of India.
两面做	liǎng miàn zuò	Double-faced openwork, on which the carving is finished to the same degree on both sides.
披麻灰	pī má huī	fabric-wrapped and lacquered, a very old Chinese lacquering technique
平地	píng dì	Smoothed ground of an area with relief decoration.
透雕	tòu diāo	Openwork carving.
圆雕	yuán diāo	Three-dimensional carving.
镶嵌	xiāng qiàn	Inlay.
百宝嵌	bǎi bǎo qiàn	One-hundred- precious-material inlay.
螺钿嵌	luó diàn qiàn	Mother-of pearl inlay; also qian-luodian.
木嵌	mù qiàn	Wood inlay.
锁鼻牛毛断	suǒ bí niú máo duàn	Ox hair crack pattern, found on the surface of aged lacquer.
嵌螺钿	qiàn luó diàn	Mother-of-pearl inlay; also luodian?qian.
牙嵌	yá qiàn	Ivory inlay.

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Woods and Materials Names

Chinese	Pinyin	English
包镶	bāo xiāng	Complete veneer, a hardwood veneer covering the entire piece of furniture.
鳔胶	biào jiāo	Fish glue, the best cabinetmaker’s glue made from the air bladder of the yellow croaker fish.
鬼面	guǐ miàn	Devil’s face. Term used in Gegu yaolun (The Essential Criteria of Antiquities) to describe a particular formation in the grain of huanghuali wood.
软屉	ruǎn tì	Soft mat seat made of cane, palm or woven silk, for stools, chairs and beds. See also tengti.
大理石	dà lǐ shí	Marble, and in particular Dali marble, from Mount Diancang 点苍 in the Dali District of Yunnan Province.
大叶榆	dà yè yú	Large leaf elm, a kind of ju wood; also called juyu.
灯草	dēng cǎo	are rushes used as lampwicks.
斗柏楠	dǒu bǎi nán	Burl of nan wood; also toubainan, the term used in Gegu yaolun (The Essential Criteria of Antiquities).
海南檀	hǎinán tán	Daltergia hainanensis, the scientific name previously given to huanghuali wood.
红木：	hóng mù ：	Hong wood. There are two kinds. old hong wood was the principal hardwood used by furniture makers from mid Qing times to the first quarter of the 20th century, and new hong wood is one of the main hardwoods used by furniture factories today.
花梨	huā lí	Huali wood, Ormosia henryi. One of the main hardwoods used for furniture after the mid Qing dynasty.
花榈	huā lǘ	Huali wood. Pre-Ming way of writing the term which at that time referred mainly to huanghuali wood.
降香黄檀	jiàng xiāng huáng tán	Huanghuali wood, Dalbergia odorifera, new name given by Cheng Junqing.
jichi wood.	jichi wood.	Hardwood with purplish-brown patterns, belonging to the Ormosia family.jichimuChicken-wing wood, another name for jichi wood
罗杰	Luójié	Roger Schwendeman – if you are reading this list on another website, its probably been recopied from the antique-chinese-furniture site.
椐木	jū mù	Ju wood, ancient simplifled form of ju Zelkova schneideriana, one of the semi-hard furniture woods imported in the Ming dynasty; known as southern elm in north China.
榉榆	jǔ yú	Large leaf elm, a kind ofju wood; also called dayeyu
laojichimu	laojichimu	Old jichi wood.
南柏	nán bǎi	Southern cypress.
蝻木	nǎn mù	Nan wood, Phoebe nanmu.
楠榆	nán yú	Ju wood, name used in the north.
蔷薇木	qiángwéi mù	Rosewood, Pterocarpus indicus, another name for one type of zitan wood.
杞梓木	qǐ zǐ mù	A variant name of jichimu.
铁力木（铁梨木/铁栗木）	Tiě lì mù （tiě lí mù /tiě lì mù ）	Tieli wood, Mesua ferrea. Wood which resembles jichi wood but which is slightly inferior in colour and grain.
骰柏楠	tóu bǎi nán	Burl of nan wood. Term used in Gegu yaolun (The Essential Criteria Antiquities). Also doubainan.
乌木	wūmù	Ebony.
相思木	xiāng sī mù	Alternative name for jichi wood, some-times translated as boxwood.
血榉	xiě jǔ	Blood ju wood, a kind of ju wood which is reddish and comes from old trees.
新花梨	xīn huā lí	New huali wood. See huali.
新鸡翅木	xīn jī chì mù	New jichi wood. See jichimu.
一块玉	yīkuài yù	Solid piece of jade. Term used to describe a single piece of wood for the top of a piece of furniture, especially a trestle table or narrow rectangular table with recessed legs.
瘿木	yǐng mù	Burl wood.
影木	yǐng mù	Shadow wood, another name for burl wood.
瘿子	yǐng zǐ	Burl wood, alternative name for
银杏	yín xìng	Ginkgo wood, Ginkgo biloba.
紫檀	zǐ tán	Zitan wood, Pterocarpus santalinus. Purplish wood, one of the most important furniture woods.
柞木	zuò mù	Zuo wood, Quercus dentata. Type of oak which is semi-hard and yellowish-brown in colour, with grain lines a few centimetres long and pointed at both ends.
黄花梨	huáng huā lí	Huanghuali wood, Dalbergia odorifera, the principal hardwood used for furniture from mid Ming until the first part of the Qing dynasty.
黄杨	huáng yáng	Boxwood, Buxus microphylia, a dense yellowish wood.

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Names of Decorative Openings

Chinese	Pinyin	English
zuo火门	zuo huǒ mén	Opening with cusped upper edge. Term used by Beijing craftsmen because of the resemblance of the opening to that of a country stove.
kunmen	kunmen	Ornamental openings or medallions with cusped upper edges. In the Tang and Song dynasties these often appear on the platform construction and on Buddhist pedestals.
炮仗筒	pào zhàng tǒng	Fire-cracker-shaped opening. Southern craftsmen’s name for a kind of yumendong opening which is the shape of a long oval and used as a motif on the waist.
月亮门	yuèliàng mén	Full-moon opening.
鱼门洞	yú mén dòng	Decorative opening, generally found on the waist. General term which includes different specific shapes such as rectangular openings with stepped corners and the long oval openings referred to as paozhangtong. Term used in the Qing Regulations, and more popular in south China.

Other Specialized Terms and Words

Chinese	Pinyin	English
步步高赶枨	bù bù gāo gǎn chéng	Stepped chair stretchers. Chair stretchers which are arranged with the front one lowest, the side ones higher, and the back one highest, so that the joints do not overlap.
斗拱式	dǒu gǒng shì	Bracket model, a type of spandrel inspired by architectural members.
两卷相抵	liǎng juàn xiāng dǐ	Abutting curls. Pair of back-to-back curls, often found on spandrels and stretchers.
罗锅枨加矮老	luō guō chéng jiā ǎi lǎo	Humpbacked stretcher with pillar-shaped struts.
罗锅枨加卡子花	luō guō chéng jiākǎ zǐ huā	Humpbacked stretcher with decorative struts.
三接	sān jiē	Three joined pieces. Term referring to the curved rest of an armchair formed of three pieces of wood with two joints.
四面平式	sì miàn píng shì	Straight form. Term used to describe furniture with straight flat sides derived from the box construction.
折枝花	zhé zhī huā	Floral sprays.
卷书	juàn shū	Scroll termination. Termination which appears on the sides of narrow waistless tables and splats or top rails of chairs. The term refers to the resemblance of the termination to a soft book when rolled up.
披水牙子	pī shuǐ yá zǐ	Slanted apron. Craftsmen’s term derived from architectural masonry; used on screens and late Cantonese furniture.
券口	quàn kǒu	Arch-shaped inner frame. Three-sided frame usually found under the seat of a chair or on open shelves.
券口牙子	quàn kǒu yá zǐ	Arch-shaped apron, beneath the seat of a chair.
五接	wǔ jiē	Five joined pieces. Term applied to curved rest of an armchair formed of five pieces of wood with four joints.
牙头	yá tóu	Apron-head spandrel. Spandrel attached to the apron.
一腿三牙	yī tuǐ sān yá	Three spandrels to one leg. Type of corner where one leg joins two apron-head spandrels and an additional spandrel along the outer edge.
一腿三牙罗锅枨	yī tuǐ sān yá luō guō chéng	Three spandrels to one leg and a humpbacked stretcher. A feature that commonly occurs on a type of square table.
挂牙	guà yá	Hanging spandrel. Spandrel whose length is greater than its width, and which narrows towards its lower edge.
联帮棍	lián bāng gùn	Side posts of an armchair, literally the handle of a sickle; also liandaoba.
镰刀把	liándāo bǎ	Side posts of an armchair, usually slightly curved and upward tapering; also lianbanggun.
柜帽	jǔ mào	Cabinet’s cap, the top of a round-corner cabinet which protrudes beyond the side posts to allow for the wood hinged construction and which usually has rounded edges.
裹腿枨	guǒ tuǐ chéng	Leg-encircling stretcher. Stretcher continuing around the entire circumference of a piece, passing over the outside edges of the legs.
耗子尾	hào zǐ wěi	Upward-tapering member, such as the side posts of an armchair.
横拐子	héng guǎi zǐ	Short horizontal members on the base of a washbasin stand.
荷叶托	hé yè tuō	Lotus-leaf support, often occurring on mirror stands.
交圈	jiāo quān	Continuous flow. The continuous connec-tion (upwards, downwards, sideways) of mouldings or the surfaces of different members in order to give the piece of furniture a unified appearance. This term is also used by architects and other craftsmen, especially for four-sided and curved forms.
木梳背	mù shū bèi	Comb-back, the back of a chair having many vertical straight rods under the top rail.
彭牙	péng yá	Outward-curving apron.
闩杆	shuān gān	Central removable stile, between two doors of a cabinet.
托泥	tuō ní	Continuous floor stretcher, to the top of which the legs are joined and below which there are separate small feet.
托子	tuō zǐ	Side floor stretcher. Stretcher on the short sides of a table with recessed legs. At each end are usually low feet which are sometimes separate pieces of wood attached with glue.
罗杰	Luójié	Roger Schwendeman – if you are reading this list on another website, its probably been recopied from the antique-chinese-furniture site
外刷槽	wài shuā cáo	Floating panel with lowered edges on the outside. Panel which slopes gently towards the sides in order to retain a certain thickness and at the same time to allow it to fit into the grooves of the frame. It is often used in floating panels with raised centres.
弯带	wān dài	Curved transverse brace, used under a soft mat seat.
挖堂肚	wā táng dù	Lowered centre apron, often found on chairs with an arched apron.
着地管脚枨	zháo dì guǎn jiǎo chéng	Floor base stretcher. Combination of the base stretcher and side floor stretchers on recessed-leg tables.
攒边装板围子	zǎn biān zhuāng bǎn wéi zǐ	Railing of a Luohan bed consisting of frames with inset panels.
攒接围子	zǎn jiē wéi zǐ	Bed railing made by joining the straight.
真两上	zhēn liǎng shàng	Twice attached. Term used when the waist and apron are made of two separate pieces of wood. Also refers to the method of construction whereby the apron and the apron moulding are made from a single piece of wood and the waist from another piece of wood. Used interchangeably with jiasanshang.
真三上	zhēn sān shàng	Thrice attached. Method of construc-tion whereby the waist, stepped apron moulding and apron are each made from a separate piece of wood. Most post-Qianlong period furniture is made by this method of construction, which is not as strong as the twice-attached method.
踩	cǎi	Lowering the surface of the wood. General term popular among craftsmen.
倒棱	dǎo léng	Rounding the edges. Procedure done to soften the sharp edges of a member.
赶枨	gǎn chéng	Changing the level of stretchers, in order to spread out the mortises. The term usually refers to the lower stretchers of chairs.
斗	dǒu	Assembly of more than two members.
攒	zǎn	To join.
塌腰	tā yāo	Sag. Condition caused when the top of a piece of furniture droops due to overloading. Occurs mostly in long pieces of furniture of inferior material and craftsmanship.
边框	biān kuàng	Frame.
矮老	ǎi lǎo	Pillar-shaped strut.
霸王枨	bà wáng chéng	Giant’s arm brace, extending from the leg to the underside of the table top at a 45° angle.
鹅脖	é bó	Gooseneck front posts. Curved posts of an armchair which are often made from the same piece of wood as the front legs.
高拱罗锅枨	gāo gǒng luō guō chéng	High humpbacked stretcher. Stretcher which often appears on the type of table with three spandrels to one leg and on rectangular tables with recessed legs.
高束腰	gāo shù yāo	High waist. On some examples the influence of a Buddhist pedestal is still discernible.
裹腿做	guǒ tuǐ zuò	Leg-encircling.
攒斗	zǎn dǒu	Latticework. Literally joining the straight and assembling the curved, two methods of making lattice. General term which is a contraction of cuanjie and doucu.
搭脑	dā nǎo	Top rail. Highest rail on the back of a chair. The term also refers to the highest horizontal member of any frame, such as a clothes rack or towel rack.
挡板	dǎng bǎn	Inset panel on a recessed-leg table with side panels. It usually has openwork carving finished on both sides and sits on a side floor stretcher or base stretchers.
地枨	dì chéng	Lowest stretcher on a cabinet.
顶箱	dǐng xiāng	Upper part of a compound wardrobe in four parts.
独板面	dú bǎn miàn	Solid board top, found most often on narrow rectangular tables with recessed legs, trestle tables, and benches whose top is not made with a frame.
独板围子	dú bǎn wéi zǐ	Solid board railing.
扶手	fú shǒu	Arms of a chair.
甜瓜棱.管脚枨	tián guā léng .guǎn jiǎo chéng	Base stretcher, a bar placed just above the feet of a piece of furniture to hold the legs in position.
挂檐	guà yán	Canopy lattice, around the top of a canopy bed.
混面	hún miàn	Convex surface or moulding. Term used in Yingzao fashi (Building Standards) and by cabinetmakers today. Also called gaimian and tumian.
平装	píng zhuāng	Flush; also pingxiang.
卡子花	qiǎ zǐ huā	Decorative strut.
圈口	quān kǒu	Four-sided inner frame.
束腰	shù yāo	Waist. Inset panel between the top and the apron.
销钉	xiāo dīng	Wood or bamboo nail.
牙条	yá tiáo	Apron.
暗抽屉	àn chōu tì	Hidden drawers, opened by raising from underneathrather than with a pull.
抽屉脸	chōu tì liǎn	Front of a drawer.
床围子	chuáng wéi zǐ	Railing on Luohan and canopy bed.
围子	wéi zǐ	Seat railing, on beds and chairs.
椅圈	yǐ quān	Curved rest of a chair.
余塞板	yú sāi bǎn	Outer panel. Panel between the door and outer frame of a cabinet.
撞	zhuàng	Tiers. Southern term.
仔框	zǐ kuàng	Inner frame.
柜帮	jǔ bāng	Side of a cabinet. Craftsmen’s term.
柜膛	jǔ táng	Hidden compartment, occupying the space below the door and above the bottom board of a cabinet.
架格	jià gé	Shelf; also屉板.
看面	kàn miàn	Front, literally the show side of a piece of furniture or one of its members.
栏杆	lángān	Railing.
落堂	luò táng	Recessed.
闷仓	mèn cāng	Hidden storage, in a coffer.
平几	píng jī	Armrest.
扇活	shàn huó	Completed part. General term applicable to all kinds of structures.
屉板	tì bǎn	Shelf; also 架格.
透光	tòu guāng	Opening.
盖面	gài miàn	Convex surface or moulding. Term used in Yingzao fashi (Building Standards) and by cabinetmakers today; also called hunmian and tumian.
格肩	gé jiān	Mitre; single or double.
横枨	héng chéng	Side stretcher, on rectangular tables.
角牙	jiǎo yá	Spandrel.
靠背	kào bèi	Back of chair or throne, either splat or whole back.
落堂踩鼓	luò táng cǎi gǔ	Floating panel with raised centre and recessed sides, so that despite its thickness it will still fit into the grooves of the frame. It is most often found on pieces dating from the mid Qing dynasty and later.
立柜	lì jǔ	Lower part of a compound wardrobe in four parts.
立柱	lì zhù	Post.
罗锅枨	luō guō chéng	Humpbacked stretcher.
门柱	mén zhù	Door pillars, the two pillars on the front of the alcove of a canopy bed.
喷面式	pēn miàn shì	Protruding top.
平镶	píng xiāng	Flush. Term referring, on furniture, to the relationship between the floating panel and its frame or between metalwork and the surrounding wood surface. Also pingzhuang.
屏心	píng xīn	Central panel of a screen set in a stand.
翘头	qiáo tóu	Everted flange.
雀替	què tì	Bracket, architectural term for a weight-bearing member which has some similarities with the apron on furniture. See also tatou.
踏脚枨	tà jiǎo chéng	Footrest stretcher, usually referring to the front stretcher of a chair. When used in the context of a stool, it refers to the base stretcher.
塌头	tā tóu	Bracket. Term used in Yingzao fashi (Building Standards) for what was called queti in Qing times.
凸面	tū miàn	Convex surface or moulding. Term used in Yingzao fashi (Building Standards) and by cabinetmakers today; also called gaimian and hunmian.
无束腰	wú shùyāo	Waistless. Type of furniture without inset panel between the top and the apron, a tradition derived from wooden architectural construction.
牙子	yá zǐ	Apron and spandrels. General term which includes aprons, apron-head spandrels, spandrels and hanging spandrels.
有束腰	yǒu shùyāo	Waisted. Type of furniture with inset panel between the top and the apron, tradition derived from Buddhist pedestals.
站牙	zhàn yá	Standing spandrel. Any two spandrels facing each other against a post, such as those found on stands, clothes racks and screens.
直枨	zhí chéng	Straight stretcher.
中牌子	zhōng páizi	Central panel of a clothes rack or washbasin stand with towel rack. Cabinetmakers’ term.
装板	zhuāng bǎn	Panel tongued-and-grooved into a frame. Panel may be flush or recessed.
子口	zǐ kǒu	Indented box lid. Box lid which has a narrow indentation along its inner edge; the edge of the box has a wider indentation along its outer edge so that the lid can be securely closed.
枨子	chéng zǐ	Stretcher. Member used mainly to connect two legs.
抽屉架	chōu tì jià	Drawer frame, put inside a cabinet or shelf to hold the drawers.
吊头	diào tóu	Protruding end. The part of the top of recessed-leg table which extends beyond the leg towards the sides.
墩子	dūn zǐ	Shoe-foot. Horizontal, usually bridge-shaped, piece of wood supporting a vertical member of a screen, clothes rack or lampstand. It tends to be large and includes the embracing drum.
垛边	duǒ biān	Frame-thickening inserts. Separate pieces of wood added, mainly for aesthetic reasons, beneath the four sides of a frame of a table top in order to increase its height. They are commonly found on tables and stools, often on the type with leg-encircling stretcher, or with three spandrels to one leg, and a humpbacked stretcher. The inserts are less deep than the frame members and thus give the illusion of a thick frame without having its weight.

TOP

So just what is “chinoiserie” anyways?

Roger S. — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:06:57 +0000

While trolling around on the net, I came across this very nice blog post from Posh Living which does a wonderful job of explaining what chinoiserie is which is. A main staple amoung designers, chinoiserie design elements in a room are timeless and sophisticated. Since we have talked in the past about how chinoiserie screens are made, their post is a nice addition providing some historical background and is well worth the read.

“What most people don’t realize about Chinoiserie is that the style doesn’t come from China at all. As trade spread around the globe and Europe’s economy matured, more people could afford decorative goods. To keep up with demand for more ornate works, artisans created designs that were pure fantasy. Reading descriptions of Chinese scenes, European designers created their own versions. Often they are whimsical and even silly, and that makes them even more appealing.

“CHINOISERIE is a French word that means “in the Chinese taste”. It describes a European style of decorative ornament that was wildly popular in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and still looks great today.”

Why Chinoiserie at all? Europeans’ fascination with the Far East began in Marco Polo’s day, in the thirteenth century. At a time when few people traveled the world, exotic goods such as silk fabrics, carpets and porcelain reached Europe via a trading route known as the Silk Road, which carried goods by cart and camel across the entire continent of Asia.

For wealthy Europeans, owning artifacts from the Far East was a status symbol. With these artifacts came stories from the traders of the amazing temples and pagodas they had seen and the strange costumes and appearance of the Oriental people. Cultures from Persia all the way to China were called “Oriental” by the Europeans. They made little effort to distinguish one people from another, and the fanciful designs of Chinoiserie often blend Chinese, Japanese and Persian or Indian elements.”

Have a read of the full post here to learn more:

http://poshsurfside.com/what-is-chinoiserie

and when finished, the wikipedia page on chinoiserie provides some additional background:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinoiserie

A true work of art – The making of a Chinese lacquered room divider/chinoiserie screen

Glossary of Chinese Symbolism and meanings

Roger S. — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:11:30 +0000

Here is a nice article I came across on Chinese Symbols on antique-marks.com which is worth posting here. Thanks to them for compiling such a comprehensive list. The original can be found here under “Glossary of Chinese Symbols.”

Glossary of Chinese Symbols – and images found on antique Chinese furniture and other artifacts.

The Chinese Symbols list is not exhaustive but we will add to it as time goes by. The descriptions detailed are only intended to be relevant to how the word or term relates to decoration on Chinese furniture and other Chinese antiques.

Chinese Symbols Gods … The Stellar Triad

Fu is pictured as a retired scholar or official holding flowers or carrying a basket of flowers, frequently carrying a ruyi (wish granting wand) or a baby boy. He symbolizes good fortune.

Lu is emblematic of rank and the wealth achieved through rank, is richly dressed, wears an official’s green robe and cap with flaps. Lu sometimes holds a ceremonial tablet; deer (symbolic of emolument) are often pictured on his robes. He symbolizes continuing wealth enhancement in sharp contrast with Caishen –while a wealth god as well, Caishen favors wealth through lucky chances.

Shou represents longevity. He is pictured with a long white beard and mustache elongated earlobes, and a large protruding forehead with 3 wrinkles and a bald head. Shou carries the peach of immortality. Shou is often shown by a young boy (posterity). Shou frequently carries a staff and holds a bottle gourd which holds the beverage of immortality.

Xi is the God of joy and is sometimes pictured with the Stellar Triad.

Baxian (The Eight Immortals) when shown together represent longevity and the breadth of all Chinese people, rich or poor, old and young, scholars, soldiers, the sick and the well. They have a great variety of powers.

Chinese Symbols Gods … The Eight Immortals

Zhong Liquan (also known as Han Zhongli) is pictured as a man with a bare belly, coiled hair on both sides of his head, and a very long beard. His symbols are a fan of feathers or a peach of immortality. Capacities include raising the dead, hiding the sun and the moon.

Li Tieguai is pictured as a crippled beggar with protruding eyes, clutching a crutch. His symbols are a gourd containing magic herbs or an elixir made from the peaches of immortality from which a bat is escaping. Capabilities include sympathy with those who are deformed or crippled as well as those suffering chronic pain..

Lan Caihe is sexually undetermined. Sometimes a little boy, sometimes she is female or hermaphrodite. Her symbols are a basket of fruit or flowers. Her capacities are to make fun of the little annoyances and stupidities of the world.

Hexiangu is the only woman of the eight. Her symbols are a lotus stem, a long kitchen ladle, or a ruyi. Her capacities are to resolve domestic disputes, and generally help in household management.

Cao Guojiu is an aristocrat in elegant court clothes. His symbols are a fly whisk or a pair of clappers or castanets. His capacities include blessing performance.

Lu Dongbin is a man with a two-edged sword hanging from his back and a horse hair switch in his hand. His capacities include eliminating greed, lust and sorrow from people’s lives.

Zhang Guolao is a very old, celibate recluse. His symbol is a musical instrument consisting of a bamboo tube struck by two rods. His capacities include raising the dead.

Han Xiangzi is a good looking, vigorous youth. His symbol is a jade flute. His capacities include blessing fortune tellers and encouraging flowers to grow.

Caishen is a wealth God with a winged cap. He is usually pictured carrying a ruyi (wish granting wand). Caishen generates wealth through windfalls, gambling etc. He is more the God of wealth through luck and Lu is the God of wealth through official position.

Menshen is a gate god, a mythical war like ferocious creature whose images frequently were posted on external doors to repel evil spirits.

Zaojun is the stove god in charge of the household.

Chinese Animal symbols and their meanings …

A Bat is a Chinese symbol of Fu or good luck. Frequently five bats are used together to represent the five elements of Fu–longevity, wealth, health, living a virtuous life, and natural death in old age. The bat may be so stylized that it is mistaken for a butterfly.

Qilin is a mythical creature said to produce sons for childless couples. Frequently the qilin is being ridden by young boy carrying a lotus and a reed pipe.

A Fu Dog is a mythical creature who provided protection to house and family. A fu dog has the body of a dog and the head of lion.

A Rabbit is associated with longevity, and is usually pictured on its hind legs under the cassia tree mixing the elixir of immortality on the moon

A Monkey is a symbol of the immortality of the human spirit despite hardships and frailties. He is also the one who ‘gets away with everything.’

A Turtle (or tortoise) is also a sign of immortality, one who supports the whole earth. The outer shell represents the heaven, its flat belly a flat earth.

A Phoenix is beauty and a yin quality. A pair of phoenix means happiness and is associated with buried treasure. When pictured with a dragon, the two together represent the union of man and a woman.

The Dragon in Chinese Symbols is power, royalty and a yang symbol.

When pictured with a phoenix they represent the union of a man and woman. By itself, the dragon also represents protection.

An Elephant is wisdom and change.

A Carp epitomize the struggle to pass examinations and achieves affluence as a result. A single carp symbolizes patience and steadfastness.

Fish Scales equate with success.

A Gold Fish represent riches. When shown with a lotus, they means lavish riches- e.g. gold and jade together.

Pair of Fish denotes marital bliss.

Flying Geese also means marital bliss.

Magpies also signifies marital bliss.

Mandarin Ducks are another symbol of marital bliss.

Cranes represent longevity, wisdom, and the father-son relationship.

Deer Chinese symbols symbolize longevity or official wealth.

A Lion is a sign of power and protection.

A Butterfly represent longevity.

Cats also represent longevity.

A Horse is equated with success.

A Horse with a Monkey on its Back is a sign of official success.

Chinese Symbols representing Fruit, Flower and Vegetables and their meanings.

Bamboo is longevity.

A Pine is also longevity.

A Cypress is another symbol for longevity.

A Mushroom (or fungus) is yet another representation of longevity.

Peaches in its various forms of peach wood, peach branches, peach blossoms, peach tree all represent longevity.

A Plum Blossom is a symbol of longevity or winter.

A Chrysanthemum is a sign of longevity or endurance.

A Willow shows spring or gentleness.

A Pomegranate is a symbol of fertility.

A Peony represents success and wealth.

A Lotus stands for uprightness, endurance, or progeny.

Flowers show wealth.

A Single Peach is used for beauty or joy.

An Osmanthus Blossom is for something precious.

Other Chinese Symbols and meanings …

Wan is a symbol of immortality or very long life.

A Vase represents peace. The vase is often pictured with the elephants suggesting “wisdom and peace.”

Water Ripples are a symbol of wealth.

Clouds show wisdom and heavenly blessing.

Gold Pieces stand for wealth.

Coins represent wealth. Conjoined coins suggest double happiness.

A Gourd-Shaped Bottle is a sign of the capture of spirits.

A Fan stands for goodness.

A Flute demonstrates disappearing.

A Goose is a symbol of marital bliss.

A Hill is a symbol of backing.

Jade is a sign of purity.

A Square shows the earth or stability.

Taiji is a sign of the perfect balance of yin and yang.

A Triangle is a sign of instability.

Water is a sign of wealth or source of breath.

A Ruyi is a magic wand used to deliver what ever one wishes.

Eight Trigrams (ba gua) are a charm disliked by evil spirits.

Rocks are a symbol of longevity.

Red means happiness.

Green is for riches.

Blue is for things that are heavenly.

Yellow denotes royalty.

Black is a sign of solemnity.

Arrows, Swords, Axes, Mirrors and Scissors are all symbols to wand off evil, and are frequently found on external-facing doors.

A Scroll is a symbol of knowledge.

A Book is also a sign of knowledge.

A Paint Brush is yet another symbol of knowledge.

A Lantern is used to show happiness.

A Knotted Cord is a sign of longevity.

Fu is a important concept of good fortune composed of five elements:

Health
Wealth
Longevity
Love of virtue
Natural death at an old age

Double Happiness is the symbol for both Fu (wealth) and Shou (longevity) used together.

Chinese New Year & Spring Festival 2008

Frederic — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:25:28 +0000

Year of the Pig ends and year of the Rat begins on febraury 7^th 2008 till January 26^th 2009

“Springfestival” or “Chinese Newyear” is nowadays well known in the West as well, though only experiencing it yourself will show you how important it is for the Chinese. The impact is huge, surely with the role China is playing in world trade nowadays. During 3 to 4 weeks 80% of the country is on holiday, so the buyers in the West prepare/plan ahead!

A definition :

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival (simplified Chinese: 春节; pinyin: Chūnjié), or the Lunar New Year (simplified Chinese: 农历新年; pinyin: Nónglì xīnnián), is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and an important holiday in East Asia (and celebrated largely by overseas Chinese). The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called the Lantern festival (simplified Chinese: 元宵节; pinyin: yuánxiāojié).Chinese New Year’s Eve is known as Chúxī (除夕). Chu literally means “change” and xi means “Eve”.Lunar calendar :The lunisolar Chinese calendar determines Chinese New Year dates : starts on the first day of the new year containing a new moon, ends on the Lantern Festival fourteen days later. (each lunation is about 29.53 days).
In the Gregorian calendar, Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year, a date between January 21 and February 20.What happens :The period around Chinese New Year is also the time of the largest human migration, when migrant workers in China, as well as overseas Chinese around the world travel home to have reunion dinners with their families on Chinese New Year’s eve. More interurban trips are taken in mainland China in this 40-day period than the total population of China.No need to say how long the lines are to buy a ticket for public transport … IF you even manage to buy one.What else happens :

Very important is that Chinese should SPEND money during this period! Everyone is supposed to buy a whole new set of clothes. Often they buy new furniture or household appliances. It is also a time of year that shops have sales, just like the winter sales period in the West. A interesting article and some statistic of the impact on the economy, you can read here : http://china.org.cn/english/2006/Jan/156662.htm
The biggest event of any Chinese New Year’s Eve is the dinner every family will have. A dish consisting of fish will appear on the. (leaving some for the next day will bring abundancy of food for the new year).
In northern China, it is also customary to have dumplings for this dinner. Dumplings symbolize wealth because their shape is like a Chinese gold nugget.
Mandarin oranges are the most popular and most abundant fruit during Chinese New Year.
Fireworks and firecrackers are lighted as to evict bad spirits from the premises.
There are rituals of what has to happen each day of the first two weeks of the new year. For example: the first day of Chinese New Year is a time when families visit the oldest and most senior members of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.
On the days before the New Year celebration Chinese families give their home a thorough cleaning. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that luck cannot be swept away. Some people give their homes, doors and window-panes a new coat of red paint.
People also give red packets containing cash (Ya Sui Qian, which was evolved, literally: the money used to suppress evil spirit) to junior members of the family, mostly children.

Items and symbols :

Red Lanterns
These lanterns differ from those of Mid Autumn Festival in general. They will be red in color and tend to be oval in shape. These are the traditional Chinese paper lanterns. Those lanterns, used on the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year for the Lantern Festival, are bright, colourful, and in many different sizes and shapes.
Decorations
They generally convey a New Year greeting. Chinese calligraphy posters show Chinese idioms.
Couplets
Eight is considered a lucky number in Chinese tradition, so Chinese couplets usually consists of two lines of four characters each, often written from top to bottom to add formality.
Red Chinese knots

Are a decorative handicraft arts that began as a form of Chinese folk art in the Tang and Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in China.
Yuanbao ingots
The gold yuanbao symbolizes money and/or wealth. Yuanbao shaped ingots were the standard medium of exchange in ancient China.
Papercutting
Chinese paper cutting is a unique artform and has existed for thousands of years with a long history featuring both national and regional themes.
In the rural countryside in mainland China, papercutting is a traditionally female activity. In the past, every girl was expected to master it and brides were often judged by their skill. Professional papercutting artists are, on the other hand, usually male and have guaranteed incomes and work together in workshops.

Greetings (the 2 most common)The Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as 吉祥話 (Jíxiánghùa), or loosely translated as auspicious words or phrases.

“Happy New Year”
simplified Chinese: 新年快乐; pinyin: Xīnnián kuàilè;
or : : 过年好; traditional Chinese: 過年好; pinyin: Guo Nian Hao
“Congratulations and be prosperous”
Kung Hei Fat Choi ( Hong Kong )
simplified Chinese: 恭喜发财; traditional Chinese: 恭喜發財; pinyin: Gōngxǐ fācái
The saying is now commonly heard in English speaking communities for greetings during Chinese New Year in parts of the.

And to end this article with, a few, sometimes funny, examples of Chinese Superstitions during the New Year period:• Opening windows and/or doors is considered to bring in the good luck of the new year.• Switching on the lights for the night is considered good luck to ‘scare away’ ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may compromise the luck and fortune of the new year.• Sweets are eaten to ensure the consumer a “sweet” year.• It is important to have the house completely clean from top to bottom before New Year’s Day for good luck in the coming year. • Some believe that what happens on the first day of the new year reflects the rest of the year to come. Asians will often gamble at the beginning of the year, hoping to get luck and prosperity.• Wearing a new pair of slippers that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you.• The night before the new year, bathe yourself in pomelo leaves and some say that you will be healthy for the rest of the new year.[edit] Bad luck• Washing your hair is also considered to be washing away one’s own luck (although modern hygienic concerns take precedence over this tradition)• Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it will sweep away the good fortune and luck for the new year.• Avoid clothes in black and white, as black is a symbol of bad luck, and white is a traditional funeral color.

Mid-Autumn festival and finally holiday for the Chinese.