Of all the great art forms to evolve in China, furniture craftsmanship was perhaps the least appreciated and the last to be collected. Today, the international market for antique Chinese furniture is booming and masterpieces from the Ming and Qing dynasties sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Carpenters from this era were artisans, elevating furniture from the functional to the philosophical. By artfully incorporating wood grain patterns, experimenting with spatial dimensions and innovating new forms of joinery, simple tables and chairs came to represent something greater-the harmony and union between man and nature. Chinese Furniture presents a broad range of collectibles-from museum-quality hardwood pieces to softwood items that are affordable and still available on the Asian market. The book presents an overview of carving styles, wood types, regional variations, class distinctions and restoration techniques. With its historical overview and regional sweep, this book highlights the diversity of antique Chinese furniture and serves as an indispensable guide to collectors, new and old.