http://www.chinese-furniture.com

A marvelous, eccentric site for aficionados of classical Chinese furniture. Webmaster Curtis Evarts was a former curator at the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture in Renaissance, California. Consequently, he knows his ta from his chuang. The fact that Evarts uses this site to plug his own consulting services is forgivable since he has compiled an invaluable resource for collectors and dilettantes alike. Not only does the site provide a useful point of contact for collectors and dealers but it also hosts an event calendar, furniture bookstore, historical data, information on museum collections and a newsletter. One of the site’s most appealing pages is devoted to the “Piece of the Month” which is an educational appetite-whetter for those expats willing to break the money-pig. The site is beautifully illustrated with images of prints from hand scrolls and ancient paintings putting the various pieces into both a social and historical context. Who knew that the folding stool (deck chair) was once used for mounting horses?

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
November 2005 issue