During the Ming and Qing dynasties, expert craftsmen developed one of the world's great traditions of furniture design and construction. This tradition grew of the architectural tradition and reflected a great synthesis between buildings and furnishings.

The Literati loved and collected exquisite furniture made from rare hardwoods rich in color and smooth in texture. This furniture seemed to embody the Literati ideal: beautiful raw materials on display in a clean, elegant design. These Huanghuali chairs represented a refined interpretation of nature.

This furniture was built using sophisticated mortise and tenon joinery, without the aid or glue or nails. In this method, the wood is cut and carved using handtools and the pieces fit together like puzzle pieces. This emphasis on bare wood reflects the literati preference for basic, unadorned materials that express themselves naturally.

Chinese hardwood furniture of the Ming and Qing dynasties is now quite rare - and expensive. Collectors, recognizing the intrinsic value of this great tradition, are spending hundreds of thousand of dollars for the best pieces. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has one of the world's great Chinese furniture collections.