Furniture is a necessity in the spaces where people live. People have created a rich variety of furniture to suit their needs and to improve the efficiency and comfort of their lives. One may say that the histories of furniture and human civilization have been intertwined for several millennia. The evolution of furniture fully embodies the historical development of human wisdom， from simple to profound. The history of furniture thus yields insights into human intelligence from another angle. In the materially enriched present, we may discover traces of our ancestors from long ago in the multifaceted world of furniture， both classical and contemporary. These traces may be in the shape， in the structure or even in an indefinable impression. In furniture design，historical and contemporary sensations are momentarily condensed and undertones of culture come to the forefront. Contemporary and classical Chinese furniture share an inextricable lineage. Without an understanding of the later, one cannot progress in the design of the former. How to take inspiration from classical furniture and the wisdom of the ancients without being encumbered by them is a question that requires serious reflection by every furniture designer engaged in the craft today. This is because our cultural heritage can quicken our creativity. As the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties， the Forbidden City has a history of 491 years and is home to the Palace Museum, a veritable treasure-house of classical Chinese furniture with a collection unparalleled in both quantity and quality. Works dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties， the golden age of classical Chinese furniture， prevail in the Palace Museum's furniture collection. The collection focuses primarily on Qing Dynasty examples， but it also contains fine specimens of Ming furniture， including a number of rare and unique works that have not survived elsewhere. The bulk of the Palace Museum collection was inherited from the Qing court and is best represented by large lacquered works and works made from zitan （red sandalwood）.
Table of Contents
FIRST PREFACE
SECOND PREFACE
AUTHOR'S PREFACE TEN 0YEARSATCHUNZAl
INTRODUCTION THE AGE OF CULTURAL CREATIVlTY
1 THE REINVENTION OFA GOLDEN ERA
CHINESE CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE DESIGN
THE RESOLVE TO DESIGN
2
THE VALUE OF CULTURE
DISCOVERIES IN CLASSICAL CHINESE FURNITURE
THE INHERITANCE AND RENEWAL OF CULTURE
EIGHT CORE VALUES IN MING-STYLE FURNITURE
3
THE AWAKENING OF CULTUREIN DESIGN
DESIGN CONSCIOUSNESS
PHILOSOPHY IN FURNITURE
FROM UTILITY TO FUTILITY-THE UNIQUE IMPLICIT
EXPRESSIONISM OF TRADITIONAL SCHOLARS
A BYGONE ERA OF REFINEMENT
4 AN ERA OF CREATIVITY
AN ERA OF DESTRUCTION
THE PURPOSE OF FURNITURE
TEN PRINCIPLES FOR THE SUCCESS OF
CHINESE DESIGN
5 THEINNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF
FURNITURE DESIGN
THE FREEDOM OF FEARLESSNESS
THE DISCOVERY OF DECONSTRUCTION
……
6 THE POSSIBILITY OF SHAPING AN ERA WITH CREATIVITY
7 FLUIDITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN SPACE AND TIME
-A STUDYIN CONTEMPORARY CHINESE FURNITURE DESIGN
IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY
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Preface
Chinese Contemporary Furniture DesIgn： From CuLturaL Appreciation to Chunzai Creativity is Mr. Jerry Chen's summary of his many years of experience in contemporary furniture design and in the connoisseurship of classical Chinese furniture. As the title indicates， Mr. Chen engages in contemporary innovation through the thorough knowledge of tradition. As suggested above， this is a means of gaining access to the wisdom of our ancestors. Mr. Chen commences the book with an objective analysis of the current state of the craft of contemporary furniture design， the challenges it faces and practical solutions to these challenges. Always grounded in experience， he engages both Eastern and Western perspectives while maintaining the central theme of culture. Filled with the textures and sensations of everyday life， his book is a refreshing read.
"Infusing life with culture is the most intellectually fulfilling way of experiencing it." This opening epigraph is an appropriate theme for the book itself and for the reader’s appreciation and comprehension of the book. Wang Yomin， Vice President of the Palace Museum， and President of the Forbidden City Publishing House。
Chinese Contemporary Furniture Design form Cultural Appreciation to Chunzai Creativity
