Liyuan Garden - a Successful Fusion of East and West

Success stories about Chinese immigrants are often overshadowed by the ones of prejudice, violence and discrimination. The latter was part of  US history’s shameful past; as for the former, I would hesitate to name one, until my visit to Kaiping.  But I do have a good story now, one that relates to an edifice that withstood a world war and two devastating revolutions. It was built with the idea of gracious living executed in the most advance technology of its time. The houses and gardens are fine examples of the fusion of Eastern and Western style of architecture and design, to showcase the results of financial success abroad.

I stumbled into this amazing compound quite by accident on a visit to my ancestral village in Kaiping, Guangdong Province.  Previously when we shopped for antique furniture, we never made time to visit to visit Kaiping which is only two hours away.  But in 2009, after a disappointing shopping trip we found we had time to spare, so our friend Yin suggested that it was high time that we take a ride to Kaiping to visit the village where my ancestors had lived, to see the famous Diaolou – fortified houses and to lunch at Liyuan, a UNESCO protected site.

My first glimpse of Qiupan, the great house at Liyuan Garden

The magnificent Entrance

In the garden looking at the elegant back

 

Liyuan is the name of a garden. The story I am about to tell began in the 1920’s when Xie Weili, a Chinese immigrant from Chicago who used the fortune he and his family made in the herbal medicine business to build a garden in his ancestral village in Kaiping, Guangdong Province. They had envisioned a garden modeled after Daguanyuan. Grandview Garden from the famous 18 century novel Honglou Meng (Dream of the Red Chamber.)   The efforts took more than 10 years, and it must have been a successful.  But I was so taken by the main house named Qiupan I saw very little of everything else.

The yellow washed three storey building with a roof top garden was built in what is known as the “Oriental” style, a combination of the best features of eastern and western architecture.  What appears to be a neo classical structure is topped with pagoda like green tiled roofs, and the interior and exterior have architectural artifacts and furniture that were physically transported from the US by way of steamships, river barges, rails and carried to the site by manual labor.

Ornate plaster moldings lined an exterior alcove

Teco Tiles on the Ceiling, imported electrified Chandelier and Clock

 Wood panel walls, tiled fireplace and floor and Chinese style Child Minder

Marble handrails under vaulted tiled ceilings

Teco tiles on ceiling,Corinthian columns

Built-in Chinese style four burner stove on tile floor

Built-in Western style sink with drain board

Imported bathtub

 The floor plan of the second and third floors is  divided into living space, bedrooms, bath and kitchen.  I love the multi Chinese style stove top with graduated size burners and the convenience of the sink with built in dish drain.  Large water cisterns located on the top level provide running water for kitchen and bath. The bathrooms have bands of teco tiles in art deco design as accents.

 Few pieces of furniture are extant.  This washstand could have been a Chinese version of a Shanghai style art deco piece.

Living space is decorated with 1920's Chinese rosewood furniture

 A suite of well made imported bedroom furniture is in one of the upstairs bedroom.  Pieces of traditional Guangdong style black wood furniture filled the living space.The windows have heavy iron bars - a protection from bandits who targeted rich returnees like Xie.

Another imported case piece stands next to a coat rack, under a transom window in a beautiful linear design.

Wall painting in Chinese themes

Ornate wood panel in red, black and gold placed under Teco ceiling tiles

 Beautiful garden structures one would expect to find in the southern states.  The verticulated transom windows are carved in stone.  Everywhere the trees and bushes flourish.  Spring time must be exceptional with blooming flowers.

A typical Diaoluo in my Ancestral Village

 This strive for luxury was overwhelming at the time when locals in the nearby villages still lived in the traditional one room brick houses with no running water.  The Xie family had lived well, but unfortunately not for long.  When the Japanese occupation took place in the north, Kaiping was no longer a safe place. In the early 1940's, Xie Weili left for Chicago with his family, never to return. 

We left Liyuan for my ancestral village, which was just minutes away. There I found my first sighting of a a  diaoluo or a fortified building. Buildings like this tall structure with small windows were built by immigrants who returned home with money earned abroad as laborers or businessmen.  By the end of the 19 century, the political situation was in a chaos and the local government could not control the bandits and other unsavory characters from looting and thieving.  The returned immigrants defended themselves in their fortified homes.  Notice the small openings under the windows.  Rifles were placed in these strategic areas to fend off attackers.

 The story is not quite complete without ending it on a personal note.  My grandfather Tse Ka Po was a member of the Tse Clan, the same Clan as Xie Weili, whose name is in pinyin romanization.  I came to this village specially to see the Ancestral Halls - the two buildings in a row on the right of the last photograph.  Their construction was financed by Great grandfather Tse Se Ping and other clansmen who found fame and fortune in Macau and Hong Kong. The Ancestral Halls have always been a place where the younger clan members received their education.  During the Cultural Revolution, the two buildings were used as storage. Today they have been restored and once again serve as schools for the village children.

My ancestral village with the two Ancestral Halls on the right next to the Diaoluo
( photo credit to Anthony Tse)

Unfamiliar becomes Familiar

Portals never cease to fascinate - whether they are gateways, doors or cabinet openings. To me they represent invitations to adventures within, enticements to experience and new elements to explore.  Every time I walk through a door, there is always an element of surprise, not knowing what awaits me on the other side.  The same excitement occurs when I open a cabinet door, a treasure will I find?

In the fall of 2005, I accepted an invitation from my brother to visit the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.  We were a lively party of more than twenty and we visited temples and other places of interest.  No one came away feeling more inspired than I.  The unfamiliar architecture with the bright primary colors captured my attention and my need to be familiar with them led to my discovery of Tibetan cabinets that shine like jewels.

Paro Rinpung Dzong (Temple Fortress)

Raven over Gangtey Palace in Paro

Doorway at Changangkha Lhakhang at Thimphu

Small Building housing the Gangtey Palace Hotel Shop in Paro

Entrance to the Main Building at Gangtey Palace

Window at Changangkha Lhakhang

Altar Room at Private Residence Paro

Dongtse Lhakhang

Courtyard at Gangtey Palace Hotel Paro with thanks to James Lee

 Upon my return to the States, I had an opportunity to purchase a collection of beautifully painted Tibetan cabinets.  I know very little about them, except for the fact that they once adorned the interiors of temples or wealthy people's abode and they held treasures and religious articles of which they held dear.  A selection now surround me in the environment where I work, and they contain within the wonderful memories of Bhutan where the country's goal is the pursuit of gross national happiness.

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Thank you for viewing.

Glimpses of Three Friends Studio

I would like to thank all the viewers of this blog and as a token of my appreciate, I would like to share images of the environment where I do some of my writing.

Three Friends Studio is a treasure trove of antique Chinese furniture, architectural artifacts, antiques, antiquities and accessories.  It is located at the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago.  The collection is displayed over 4000 square feet, with ample space between objects for easier viewing.  Recognize some of the furniture from previous blogs?

For more furniture and antiques, please visit http:\\www.threefriendsstudio.net

A STORY ABOUT CHAIRS

My Grandma never walked. I do not mean she was lame. As long as I could remember, she was always sitting in her chair, a beautiful Victorian period chair with expensive upholstery. When she had to go somewhere, she would travel by car or be carried by two strong coolies in a sedan chair. During my childhood in Hong Kong, my inquisitive nature often steered me to eavesdrop on adults’ private conversations, especially Grandma’s. I am a member of a large family spanning several generations. In those days we lived in a very close-knit community where virtually no one could do anything without scrutiny. Most of the bits of conversations, now forgotten, were idle gossips that involved relatives in the latest drama, which among this large assembly of family members, was a natural occurrence then as it is now. However, some poignant stories remain, especially those oblique remarks that I thought I understood but the meanings were beyond my youthful comprehension. These I have filed in the unused compartments of my brain, and there they stayed for decades, waiting for me to fully grasp the significance.

How then, does this relate to interior design? If you have the time, you will grant me the indulgence of telling you a story. A long time ago, Grandma, whose father built Komtong Hall (please refer to the blog dated January 2011) visited her favorite nephew and his bride living in "exile," away from their Hong Kong family from which they were estranged. The young people found themselves in this predicament because they had married against his parents’ wishes and he and his bride were unable to live in his former lifestyle. Grandma was appalled that her nephew was living in such austere conditions and he could not even offer her a chair because all he had for seating were stools. If you read on, you will find out why.

In Chinese culture, where you sit signifies who you are. Emperors and Empresses sat on thrones and carried on palanquins. Abbots and high officials sat on armchairs with yoke backs and resting their feet on foot stools. Chairs were designed for ladies with low backs and folding chairs were reserved for special guests. Here are some illustrations:

Folding chairs were very special chairs. In a wealthy home, the chair was reserved for an important visitor. Generals watched on going battles sitting on their folding chairs. This chair is embellished with good metalwork.

The chair is named Southern Official Chair because it was the intended seat for an official. Sumptuary Laws in China dictated that non officials could not own such a chair - a law that might be difficult to carry out.

Rose chairs are intended for the lady's chambers. This six sided chair is made in imitation of bamboo chairs. I often wonder why the Chinese would go through the trouble of making wood chairs using the same joinery? Is it because chairs made of wood are more permanent than bamboo chairs?

Moon gazing chairs are very popular recliners.




In reference to the story about my Grandmother and her innuendo about the stools, I have always taken it on face value until it dawned on me that Grandmother’s comment about the absence of chairs in her nephew’s home carried a double meaning. In truth, was she commenting her nephew’s lost of face and social standing? Not owning chairs reduced one’s status to just higher than the working poor who found squatting a comfortable way of relaxation. On the other hand, was Grandmother lamenting that she also lost face by sitting on a common stool? I will never know. This story has a good ending. The young couple raised a large family. Their sons inherited a huge fortune and they are known for their philanthropy.

A Stunning Metamorphosis

In the antiques trade, dealers fall into this profession not entirely by choice, but mostly by circumstances.  However, they stay because they like to shop and buy.  I am no exception, though I prefer to think I am a rescuer of objects.  When Michael and I go furniture hunting in the antique furniture market in China, I frequently would see a quality piece standing alone among its inferiors.  Sometimes a Chinese idiom loses its punch in translation, but this one that relates to plucking a flower growing among cow dung is pretty straightforward.  During one of our trips, I found this well constructed elm cabinet.  It caught my eye standing in the back of a dark and dusty shop.  Dirt and dust covered the beautiful graining of the fine furniture wood.  It was appealing because of its clean lines and square corners and a plain apron without ornamentation.  This simplicity of form is a classic style of the Ming Dynasty (CE1368-1644.)  The top portion of the cabinet is accessible through the pair of doors, and the only access the to the lower portion is through a hidden inside panel.  This was the acceptable usage of the cabinet and it served a dual purpose – seasonal changes of clothing were rotated between the top and bottom which also stored the family’s valuable possessions.  However, the last owner had reconfigured the cabinet by adding drawers and opening the closed bottom section with a pair of doors.  The alteration allowed easy access but it also affected the antique quality. So it was banished to the back and judging from the layers of dirt, for a good long while until we recognized its useful qualities. Its simplicity of form blends well with contemporary furnishing. 

As the focal point of a room, a single piece of Chinese furniture does well. However, size, shape and finish do matter, so the elm cabinet stood waiting in our warehouse until Sarah van Assche of Sarah van Assche Interiors found it useful in one of her projects.  She needed a large, well made piece of furniture with good storage for a sophisticated lady with young children.  Sarah has vast experiences incorporating antique Chinese furniture in her designs and she saw beyond the cabinet and visualized its transformation into something of beauty that would be compatible in a contemporary setting.  A new blue grey slightly distressed finish, new hinges and hardware completed its metamorphosis.  When I saw a photograph of the cabinet in its new abode, I was totally stunned!

www.svainteriors.com

From Sarah Van Assche Interiors - Tranquil Harbor Country Master Suite

Ivory Conundrum

I would like to begin by thanking every viewer for visiting my blog and to apologize for the long absence.  There are many interesting ideas, but the one that I need to express is a recent conundrum I had with ivory.  Ivory carving was an art form perfected by the Chinese and later by Japanese artists/craftsmen in the 18 and 19 century respectively.  In the early days, elephant tusks were found in piles, and elephants were not killed for their tusks.  No one carves new ivory today, but lately there is a resurgence in the art market for old ivory objects d’art, such as this 10 inch tall vase from the eighteen century Qing Dynasty illustrated here.  It was sold at the March 2011 Asian Arts Auction at Freeman's in Philadelphia.

Recently I was an exhibitor at the International Antiques Fair at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.  An acquaintance from Mainland China named Lan whom I met a few months before asked if I could help her out.  She needed some advice on buying ivory.  I do not sell ivory but I do have some knowledge by being on the antique show circuit and ivory was an important craft in Hong Kong where I grew up.

Lan led me to a fabulous display of antique ivory objects in a space belonging to an important dealer of high end art objects.  There were both Chinese and Japanese ivory carvings and they ranged from artistic pieces to ones that were exquisitely carved but made for the export market.  She asked very basic questions – were these real ivories, were they old and why were they in different colors?  Immediately I knew Lan had no notions about ivory but she was on a dangerous mission to buy some for her brother who lives in China.  I stress on the word dangerous – it is so easy to make mistakes when one buys antiques.  The rule in the antiques business is you either trust the dealer or yourself.  In Lan’s case, she did not know the dealer and she was treading into territories without prior knowledge.  She was counting on me, and putting me on the spot where my advice could either cost the dealer a good sale, or Lan a bad investment.

I realized Lan did not have my advantages.  I, the ever inquisitive child who dawdled in front of ivory shop windows in Central (downtown Hong Kong) at least once a week and memorized every design I had seen from figurines to ivory balls with movable centers.  Conversely, I was also privileged to learn early on that ivory in private collections bore no resemblance to the commercially produced carvings for the tourist trade.  Art objects made of ivory were unique designs of beauty in form and execution.  It could be a large elephant tusk where every centimeter was covered with exquisite carving to something as small as a seed on which poetic inscriptions were not visible to the naked eye.  So how could I transmit this accumulated knowledge of a lifetime in a few sentences with a language problem to boot?  My ability to speak Putonghua was even more challenged than Lan’s English comprehension.  Somehow I managed to convey to her that as a fellow dealer in the show, I should not influence her buying, the decision had to be hers.  Secondly, I could tell her about the pieces that she was interested in, why some pieces cost more than others and which were the ones worthy of collecting.  Thirdly, I could advise her to tell her brother as a new collector, he should get the most for his money, and in this case, it would be exquisite carving on a piece with good size.  Then I walked away, leaving Lan to do her own negotiations.

Later on I was relieved to find out that Lan did make a purchase.  She was as eager to buy as the dealer was anxious to sell.  She selected a good pair of 19 century ivory vases that were made for the export market.  In the following day, ivory objects sold for astronomical prices at Leslie Hindman's Asian Arts auction.  Lan did very well indeed.

Postscript 
The idea behind this piece is not to promote nor condone the sale of artistic ivory objects.  I just wish to make a point that sometimes art dealers are put "on the spot" and that was the exact case.  I like to think I am a "good" dealer and I have my own ethics.  I do not wish to misguide a novice collector nor do I wish a fellow dealer to lose a sale.  Fortunately it all turned out well for all concerned.

Finding old Shanxi Furniture

Sometimes the feelings of exhilaration resulting from a great purchase are not consciously felt until years later.  The realization came when I reflected on a 17 century cabinet decorated with lively dragon designs.  It is one of many pieces that we bought on that particular day many years ago.  My husband Michael and I were shopping at an antique furniture market in Zhongshan, near Guangzhou (Canton) with our agent Leong who brought us to a shop ran by two brothers from Shanxi Province.  Shanxi is located in North Central China, a province that is part of the cradle of Chinese civilization.  By the Ming Dynasty (CE 1368 to 1644) it was the land of stately homes belonging to rich merchants and bankers who furnished their living interiors with the best furniture Chinese craftsmen could offer.  Shanxi furniture is desirable because varieties of high quality wood for furniture were available – northern elm, walnut, locust, oak, laurel and cedar.  We looked around and did not see anything worth buying.  The shopkeeper noticed our disappointment and told Leong that his brother had gone shopping back home and was due back later in the day with some great finds and would we come back after lunch.

Lunch in South China is as important as dinner.  Cantonese live to eat, and as the saying goes, they will eat anything that has four legs except a table.  Leong would order more food than we could possibly eat and anything less would be considered losing face. And I, saving face, would try to swallow morsels of the exotic delicacies he offered.  Fortunately for me, luncheon that day was a simple fare.  The anticipation of  new merchandise made all of us too excited to eat. Michael too, was busy giving me admonitions that I should keep a poker face; any excitement would cost him extra. 

We found a small crowd waiting outside when we returned to the shop.  The men were chain smoking while waiting.  Then we saw a cloud of dust following a small convoy of open back trucks (called Lorries) laden with furniture tied down to the frames.  The drivers stopped, jumped out of the cabs and started unloading.  It was hardly what I expected; cabinets were taken apart and tied in bundles, chairs and small tables the same way.  This is possible because all Chinese furniture is held together with joinery without using nails, and each piece can be taken apart and easily put back together.  One must have the expertise to visualize what the end result would be.

Babel erupted among the crowd.  Furniture dealers communicated in their local dialects.  Cantonese, Putonghua, Fukinese, and dialects that were new to me.  Leong brought our attention to a few choice pieces. Michael nodded his approval and he marked them with our name. Then a bidding war started.   The Yuan was weak and the US dollar strong.  Needless to brag who came out with the best pieces; the local dealers were not pleased.

Alas, the thrills of shopping for antique furniture are all but over.  Since 2009, China has imposed a ban on exportation of anything older than 1920’s, and that pretty much means everything good.  The strong Chinese economy signals the tables have turned.  We cannot go back and buy as we did.  Savoring the euphoria we felt that day, we realize that opportunity would never come again.  Nevertheless, we did well. After heavy cleaning and light restoration, those bundled pieces of wood became these fabulous pieces. Shanxi furniture exemplifies the finest features of Chinese vernacular furniture – fine quality wood and craftsmanship. With a little imagination, each of these pieces can be the focal point of a room. Shanxi furniture is well known among collectors but has not been properly introduced to the general audience.  It is a worthy topic for further discussion.

17 Century Walnut Cabinet with Dragon Designs

17 Century Lacquered Cabinet

18 Century Altar Table

18 Century Painted Cabinet