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Friends of the House: Furniture from China's Towns and Villages |
By Nancy Berliner and Susan Handler |
| Peabody Essex Museum, East India Square, Salem, Mass. 01970, 1996, pp.133, hardcover. |
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| "Friends of the House," the popular and well-received exhibit put together by Peabody Essex, is beautifully examined in this well-organized and well-written catalogue. "The furniture in this exhibit," writes Berliner, "were made for and utilized by the general populace of China." Several black and white photographs place these objects in their original settings, such as the main hall of a carpenter's home in the central Zhejiang province. Handler then describes the process of the commoner's craft, an essay illustrated with black and white drawings of the artisans at work and detailed photographs of actual examples. Approximately 46 pieces shown in the exhibition are featured here, each accompanied by a color plate and in-depth, descriptive text.
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