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A Seat Fit for an Emperor

A seat fit for an Emperor
00:00 / 01:29

It cannot be denied that a garden without furniture is like a man without learning.

Chen Congzhou (1984) On Chinese Gardens

Porcelain may seem an unusual choice of material for garden furniture but this seat was made for the imperial court during the Ming dynasty about five hundred years ago. The large, hollow seat may have been moved outside to the surrounding gardens where the emperor would hold ceremonies, entertain guests, hunt, play games, read, play chess, drink tea, recite poetry and paint.

Ordinary seats or stools were often made of bamboo, which is strong and lightweight. The porcelain object copies the shape and the openings in the sides of the bamboo seat. This made it easy to carry to different locations in the garden depending on what flowers were in bloom or what activity was taking place.  

A seat made for the court had to be impressive and show off the wealth and importance of the emperor. There is a carved blue dragon and a pearl on the top of the seat because dragons were regarded as auspicious and associated with power. Dragons are found on a wide range of imperial objects, including ceramics, textiles, furniture and lacquer work.

Garden Seats Alison Hardie cropt x2.jpg

Garden seats in Zhenjiang from Ji Cheng (1634) The Craft of Gardens.

Photograph: ©Zhong Ming

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