Oriental furniture (II) January 3, 2010 at 11:41 pm
According to Mrs. Pauline, who owns Pauline Galleries in Cold Storage, the most important piece of furniture in a household for the ancient Chinese was the bed because their lives revolved round it. Beds were originally in the form of elevated platforms or brick structures called “Kang” with a heating system of flues conveying warmth from the kitchen fires. The bed is often the only piece of furniture in the home on which the whole family sleeps, eats, sews, relaxes and entertains. She added that chairs were not a Chinese concept and gained acceptance only in the 12th century—the women especially would rather use beds in their private quarters rather than chairs. (more…)
Contrary to what people think, Chinese chairs are not uncomfortable. They are molded especially for sitting and the armrests, rounded off to fit the arms. They create an interesting effect when matched with a rosewood table or a rosewood stool used as a small table, for that matter. Chinese or Korean cupboards can be used to store liquor, porcelain, stereo equipment or whatever suits your imagination. Indian dowry boxes make attractive coffee tables or jewel chests and Thai noodle carts can be converted into bar trolleys. Oriental furniture and items are not only functional but make good conversation pieces in the home. Of the countries in the East, the most popular products among people in Singapore appear to be those from China. 
A little velvet-covered sofa, for instance, or a Georgian mahogany desk you’d like in the study, but for the fact that it’s hardly bigger than your hand. If you’re a collector of these, however, you’ll snap it up immediately and count your blessings. An investment that has paid off: at today’s prices her small but valued in the thousands, though when she though of selling recently before moving to a new “uncluttered” home, the reaction was on 