Talk: Ming Furniture with Grace Wu Bruce

Ming furniture, the classic furniture of China of the 16th and 17th centuries,
was a “discovery” of the 20th century. Lost during the Qing period (1644 – 1911), Ming furniture was rediscovered with China’s opening up in the 1980’s.
The furniture is mostly made from a tropical hardwood called huanghuali which
is a beautiful orange brown colour, and are rich in types. Striking in modernity and characterized by purity of line and simple designs,Ming furniture has captured the imagination of furniture designers, architects and is sought after by collectors and museums worldwide.

Grace Wu Bruce is a leading international dealer in Ming furniture and holds
exhibitions worldwide, including London, New York, Maastricht and Basel, Switzerland. Specializing in the finest examples of Chinese Furniture of the 16th and 17th centuries, her gallery was established in Hong Kong in 1987 and the clientele includes many international collectors and museums. The gallery recreates the ambience of Suzhou garden houses and offers a peaceful setting where visitors can browse and enjoy these timeless classics.
www.gracewu-bruce.com .

Grace Wu Bruce is recognized as an authority on Ming furniture and has catalogued exhibitions for various museums including Musée National des Arts
Asiatiques – Guimet, Paris (2003), the Palace Museum, Beijing (2006) and Art Museum, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (1991 and 2007). Publications include Chinese Classical Furniture, Oxford University Press, 1995 and Eternal Ming Furniture, Forbidden City Press, 2006.