Chinese Garden Seats
The Chinese garden is a tradition that dates back thousands of years. These gardens originally covered large expanses of land similar to what we think of as a park today. As time evolved, garden architecture became more prevalent, culminating in the creation of The Royal Gardens at Beijing during the Ming Dynasty. The garden architecture trend continued in private homes, often built around a courtyard with an emphasis on the garden and the landscape. Garden seats were functional seating in the garden setting as they were portable, allowing for movement around the garden to enjoy various vistas for contemplation. The materials commonly used to make garden seats were porcelain, metal or wood, chosen because they were able to withstand the elements. Chinese garden seats remain popular today, used in interiors to provide a pop of color and perform double duty as extra seating, or as a side table using a minimal amount of space.