National treasure
Classical Tibetan furniture is one of China’s great treasures with a history of no less than 1500 years. According to Zang Zu Jian Shi (The Brief History of Tibet), as early as 6BC, there was a record of enrolling carpenters to build the Jokhang Temple and Ramoche Temple. Through thousands of years’ handworks of Zang People, Tibetan furniture has become a unique style, which bears artistic shapes, rich colors and delicate craft. In recent years, this old decorative fashion has begun to attract more and more people’s eyes. Its ancient, simple and mysterious styles echo the post-modern view.
Unique characteristics
The greatest characteristic of Tibetan furniture is its simplicity. It is plain, solid, and practical.
Plain: Tibetan furniture is monotonous in shape, and restricted in variety. There are no benches or chairs in Zang People’s home, instead, they use chests, cabinets and tables because they like to sit straight on the floor. Zang People never make a fuss about the appearance of their furniture; they like to be frank, so their furniture is either square or rectanglular, not varying much in shape. This makes it simple, yet unique.
Solid: Tibetan furniture is usually made of cedar or other kinds of pine, while those bearing artistic carvings are often made of precious Tibetan hardwood. Furniture made in this way is much heavier and more durable than that made of three-ply board. Many chests and cabinets sold on Barkhor Street have existed for more than seven decades.
Practical: Tibetan furniture is practical in the sense that it can hold many things. For example, Tibetan cabinets, though not large in appearance, have two layers inside that can contain numbers of bowls, clothes and quilts.
Despite the above features, Tibetan furniture is also known for its vitality, embodied in its design, decoration and color.
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