Kang cabinet with magpie and plum blossom carving

19th century

• birch
• 100cm wide x 38cm deep x 53cm high

Very interesting piece of furniture. The carving is magpie and plum blossoms, a combination that forms an idiomatic expression xi shang mei shao. Literally it means the magpie (xi que) is on the top of the plum blossom (mei shao). Another meaning is may your happiness (xi) reach (shang) the top of your eyebrows (mei shao). Magpie and plum blossom is therefore a wish for great happiness.

Before the advent of the chair-level mode of living in about the 10th century, Chinese people mostly sat on mats or low platforms. Low furniture such as small chests and cabinets as well as low tables was in common use. When sitting on chairs became more customary, many new types of furniture developed to accommodate this lifestyle change. However, low furniture continued to be used and remained particularly popular on an internal structure known as the kang.

The kang is a hollow platform that was often built on a warm south facing wall and extended the length of the room. The kang provided the main source of heat in the very cold northern winter. Heating was supplied either by burning fuel directly underneath the kang if it was made of bricks, or by running a flue from a stove nearby. Quilts and covers were placed on the kang and many household activities, incl uding eating, sleeping and entertaining were performed on this warm platform.

The size of the kang varied but was often large enough for the entire family and their friends to enjoy. Kang furniture included altars, cabinets, screens and tables. Such furniture was also used in other parts of the house as needed.