For those of you who appreciate Oriental design and Chinoiserie, you'd enjoy checking out this new book from Vendome that catalogues rare and beautiful pieces of Chinese furniture from the 16th-18th centuries.
The background information is fascinating - author Marcus Flacks covers details like joinery, types of wood (many of which I'd never heard of before), lacquers and Chinese aesthetics.
This sloped cabinet is about 400 years old! It's amazing how these pieces are so "modern" in their style.
Classics are never dated and great bones never lose their appeal to the eye.
The caning and joinery alone on some of these pieces is astounding. To think these were made by skilled craftsmen so long ago with such quality and attention to detail that they have stood the test of time and influenced current Western design so heavily is quite impressive.
Apart from the subject matter alone, I love the clean design of the book and how its' uncluttered and concise format allows you to absorb both the informative text and the artistic delight without the distraction of visual "busyness".
You can find Classical Chinese Furniture here.