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SHANGHAI
CHINA
The German historian of art Gustav Ecke (1896 - 1971) was the first scholar in the twentieth century to systematically study and document Chinese classic hardwood furniture, much earlier than any contemporary Chinese did. Our client, being a German, also has an intense interest in Ming style furniture. We have had the pleasure of his support from the beginning.
The furniture we made for his living space and study is pure Ming in style. The daybed, in a pair, is referenced from one recorded in Gustav Ecke's book “Chinese Domestic Furniture”. The coffee table is in generous dimensions, with the sturdy grid frame supporting an inset dark charcoal granite panel on the top.
The mood changes in the dining space, with a bespoke round dining table set in Art Deco style. The hint of old Shanghai is intentional, with the use of off white colored and satin finished marble inset on the table top.
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中国上海
生于十九世纪末的德国历史学家古斯塔夫‧艾克 (1896 - 1971) 是在二十世纪有系统地研究并记录古代中国硬木家具的第一个学者，比我们所有国内的中国学者还要早。我们现在介绍的客人，也是德国人，同样地对中国明式家具有浓厚的兴趣。我们有幸从开业时已承蒙他的大力支持。
我们给他制造的客厅家具是纯明式的。那罗汉床造了一双，两边对着摆放。款色是参照古斯塔夫‧艾克所著的 “中国花梨家具圖考”。咖啡台也是同样细部处理，并且尺寸庞大，台面密密的牢固框架是用来承托炭黑色丝光麻石。
饭厅的家具面貌却有所不同。我们给他门设计的餐台餐椅是艺术装饰风格的。那弥漫着旧上海气氛的风格是特意营造的，包括使用了丝光处理的偏白色云石镶在台面中。
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It truly pays off when one studies the joinery structure of the furniture in detail. For the daybed and coffee table, there are multiple rectangular shaped long tongues at the top of the legs penetrating into the underside of the top frame. The tongues are set at a right angle, and provide ample surface area for secure attachment. Similarly, it can also be observed that for both the dining table and the chairs, rectangular shaped joineries are also used. This is much more sturdy and skill demanding to craft than round wood peg attachments typical for other types of fine furniture. Further to this, it is always pleasing to know that the furniture being used has been crafted with such thoughtfulness.
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细心留意榫卯结构的人是有回报的。从照片上可以看到罗汉床与咖啡台的脚部顶端结构，都有多个方形的长榫头插进顶框。这数个榫头呈 90 度打造，提供大面积让榫互相抓紧。同样地，也可以看到餐台与餐椅也用上了方形的榫头。这结构比大部分只用圆形木栓或打不锈钢钉子的现代家具稳固得多，也需要更高的工艺水平。当体会到使用中的家具是这样一丝不苟被制造时，可能会让人满心欢喜。
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