Friends of the House: Furniture from China’s Towns and Villages

Berliner, Nancy; Sarah Handler. Friends of the House: Furniture from China’s Towns and Villages. Salem, MA: Peabody Essex Museum, 1995. First edition. Small folio. 133, [3]pp. Original photo-illustrated dust-jacket over red cloth, with gold lettering on spine and front cover. Illustrated with numerous color and b/w photographic reproductions, this accompaniment to a past Peabody Essex Museum exhibition serves both as a tour through PEM’s excellent Chinese furniture collection and as an introduction to Chinese antiques for the beginning collector. Curator Nancy Berliner’s personal reflections of travels through rural China accompany examples of softwood, bamboo, and root furniture. Although inspired by classical forms, artisans often followed their own creative spark and the natural forms of the materials. Dust-jacket, binding and interior in overall very good condition. vg. Hardcover. (37546) $45