ASIAN FURNITURE - A Directory and Sourcebook

Western-style furniture was a relatively late arrival in Asia, where climates and lifestyles were markedly different from those in Europe. But furniture design in Asia quickly blossomed into a major decorative art.

Each of the countries covered here – China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Tibet and the Philippines – developed its own particular designs, creating pieces of furniture as works of art. Today these are treasured by collectors worldwide, as well as in the countries where they originated.

Examples have been drawn from private collections, antique dealers and museums around the world, and are organized by country and then by type:  chairs, armoires, tables, chests and more. Each piece has been specially photographed and is described in detail, and the relations between the various periods and styles are explored. The texts have been written by local experts, making this not only a sumptuous overview but also a peerless reference source in any collector’s library.

Peter Moss was born and spent his childhood in India. From 1978 to his retirement from Hong Kong’s civil service in 1993 he was Assistant Director in charge of publicity in the Government Information Services, producing books on the history, heritage and mapping of Hong Kong. His twenty-one published works since then include books on Asian history, arts, culture and symbolism, as well as five novels.

Edited by Peter Moss
With texts by Anthony Banks
Pitya Bunnag
Soedarmadji Damais
Anna Hestler
Willy Wo-lap Lam
Peter Moss
Martin I. Tinio Jr.
Yokobori Yoichi