When a person looks at photographs that were taken in China, he or she could notice that benches turn up in more of the photos than any other kind of furniture. They are seen outside of buildings as well as inside. They are found in pictures of wealthy houses and in pictures of the poorest dwellings. Some benches are seen outside of restaurants as well as inside. As a matter of fact, they are all over.
The other interesting thing to note about benches is how varied they are by size and by style. Benches produced in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) are valuable antiques now. These benches are beautifully constructed and made from the finest wood. Similar benches can be found in major museum collections throughout the world. Benches that are used by the less privileged are often found in antique shops all around the globe, and can often be purchased at low and reasonable prices. The techniques used to construct benches don’t vary much at all between twentieth-century models and the oldest models known. Benches that were constructed 500 years ago may show strikingly similar styles to benches made only 50 years ago.
Because the basic form of a bench is simple, Chinese antique benches are often found in western homes. The antique bench from China works well with contemporary pieces and can be used in many ways as well. Most of the people use one bench each at both the ends of a sofa. Single benches are frequently used as side tables beside arm chairs. Benches are often seen utilized as attractive and functional cocktail tables. In other words, Chinese antique benches are used today in western style houses with the same variety of uses as found in China.
In what ways may benches be differentiated from stools? There can be many different answers to that question. The commonly viewed interpretation of the differences between the two forms of furniture is that a stool would be a seat for one person and a bench for more than one.
A Chinese bench or other piece of furniture certainly catches the eye. Appreciation of antique furniture in China, as something other than simply used household goods, is new. Eastern societies, in contrast to many Western cultures, often did not value old or antique furniture. Therefore, old furniture did not get the same kind of protection and care as old furniture may have in other societies. Hardwood floors are difficult to find in many parts of China. Inside furniture absorbed moisture via its legs a lot of the time; additionally heating was more sporadic, thus the furnishings were subject to a greater amount of changes in temperature than might have been the circumstances in western locations. These observations are true, of course, for all Chinese antique furniture, and they are mentioned here only because many of the old benches available in the West have repairs and evidence of moisture having been absorbed through the legs. It is common to find evidence of repairs in most pieces of Chinese furniture.
Antique or vintage wooden benches are often refinished before being offered for sale. Refinishing, of course, does not remove all the signs of use, and the nice part about refinished Chinese furniture is that the woods frequently used have highly attractive grain patterns. Fixing and refinishing doesn’t matter to a regular individual who wants merely to have beautiful antique furnishings for their house. Only those who subscribe to the collecting school of “Buy it ratty and leave it alone” will object.