Minneapolis Institute of Art

Couch Bed

China

Date

17th century

Medium

T'ieh-li and chi-ch'ih-mu hardwoods

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This large waisted couch is constructed primarily from t'ieh-li-mu, a hardwood with a coarse, fibrous structure that is extremely dense and strong. Less expensive than huang-hua-li but, equal in strength, it was a good timber to meet the structural demands imposed by the long spans of the standard couch bed frame. Perhaps because he was working with a wood that lacked the innate beauty of huang-hua-li, the cabinetmaker has created visual interest by decorating the three solid board rails with dragon roundels carved in high relief. China, Asia

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.