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Sofia Suarez

A low table I want to buy is apparently known as a kang.  Is that an era?

WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS

'This type of furniture  gets its name  because  it could be used on the kang - a  heating system  from  northern China,'  says dealer and gallery owner Karin Weber.

'The whole family would spend the winter months on the kang. They would cook, eat, write, and sleep on it. The furniture  was low so that  things would be within reach and they wouldn't have to get off the kang.

'Today, because of its small dimensions, kang furniture is suitable for modern homes.'

Kang furniture was in use more or less from the Ming  (1368-1644) to the late Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Weber says. 'During the early Ming, the furniture we now know as Ming was owned by the elite,' she says. 'They could afford floor coverings and rugs, so they didn't need to live on top of the kang.'

Lower classes such as lesser officials, landowning farmers and artisans owned kang furniture,  Weber says.

COLD COMFORT

Kang furniture was usually   tables or cabinets. 'They were mostly pieces for putting away bedding,  such as quilts which were very important, and quilted garments,' Weber says. 'They also stored working utensils and sewing tools.  The methods and skills used to construct kang pieces were exactly the same as full-sized furniture.'

Similarly, the style of individual pieces is specific to the era in which it was made. Materials varied. 'Once the Ming style became more popular, people would have used woods such as huanghuali or tielimu, even chicken-wing wood,' Weber says. 'In the late Qing, it was almost exclusively elm wood, and sometimes fir wood. They might also have used regionally available types of wood.'

Did these pieces suffer more wear and tear because they were exposed to extremes of hot and cold? 'Nobody can guarantee that a piece of wood won't crack,' Weber says.   'But I haven't had a kang piece crack. They're usually very well constructed.'

TIPS FOR NEW COLLECTORS

'Fancy brassware makes a piece more distinctive,' Weber says. 'As with most furniture, much of the hardware isn't original. I'd say about 90 per cent was replaced at one time or another. It's the job of the buyer to ensure the hardware is in keeping with the style of the piece. Some make it look very shiny and new. I think that looks cheap.'

Weber regards some  so-called antiques as hybrids. For example, she has added a crackled red lacquer finish to a late Qing kang table. If a piece isn't particularly old or rare, 'I'll have no hesitation in restoring it,' she says. 'Late Qing furniture isn't going to appreciate vastly from an investment point of view because it's not pure in design.

'Any piece can be artificially aged. Look at the wood under-neath. Take out the drawers and inspect them. Look for a purity  of construction. Even in the  late Qing, construction was the same as before, but the classic elegance in an older piece is immediately noticeable - even to the untrained eye. That's what you're paying for. With  common sense, and taking into account the reputation of the buyer, any collector should be reasonably confident,' Weber says. 'If you see a nice piece, buy it. It was only made in northern China, so it's more difficult to find than other types.'

On average, Weber  says collectors should expect to spend about $4,000 to $8,000.

RESOURCES

Books (Amazon.com): Chinese Country Antiques by Andrea  and Lynde McCormick   ($312); Friends of the House: Furniture from China's Towns and Villages by Nancy Berliner  and Sarah Handler  ($390); On the Kang  and Between the Walls by Grace Wu Bruce ($390).

Karin Weber Gallery: 20 Aberdeen St, Central (tel: 2544 5004; www.karinwebergallery.com)

Send questions about collectables to sofiasuarez@yahoo.com

EXPERT ADVICE



Kang furniture