Detail: With over 3000 years of literary and pictorial evidence, Chinese furniture art has a long-standing history and tradition. Following advancements in living standards and craftsmanship, Chinese furniture flourished during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Ming furniture is well known for its elegant but simple style, moderate proportions, and delicate workmanship, while emphasizing the wood's natural grain and color. On the contrary, Qing furniture shed Ming's minimalism in favour of larger size pieces with strong and grandiose ornamentation. Precious materials were also inlayed into the furniture to add luxurious and colourful details. Featuring 30 important pieces of furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the early Republican period, these works showcase indigenous styles of Suzhou, Beijing and Canton, and present distinctive and exquisite Chinese furniture art.