Oriental Garden Gallery offers the beauty and simple elegance of classical and traditional Chinese furniture. Based on the pure, clean styles of the Ming Dynasty (China’s Golden Age) and Qing Dynasty, our furniture range is designed to be both functional as well as to bring a touch of oriental style into your home.
Each item we offer is made by craftsmen at our workshop in Shanghai, where traditional construction methods are adhered to as far as possible. This includes wood selection, cutting, joinery, assembly, sanding, lacquering and finishing.
Most of our designs are originals from the Ming period, but as you will as when you browse through our on-line catalogue, the timeless simplicity of these pieces means they will look perfectly in keeping in even the most modern home. Other pieces are more contemporary in design to allow for greater functionality, but still hold fast to the spirit and traditions of the Ming style. We feel sure you will find something at Oriental Garden Gallery that will give you pleasure for many years.
About our materials
Our oriental furniture is produced using only reclaimed wood, mostly local elm known as ‘Northern Elm; (or ‘Yumu’ in Chinese). This type of wood was used during the Ming period for most furniture making around Shanghai province and in the north of China. The sapwood of Northern Elm is yellow-ish born, while the heartwood is a darker, chestnut brown. The surface of the wood often shows a delightful wave-like pattern in the grain which has made it a popular and sought-after material for furniture making over hundreds of years.
Our use of reclaimed wood, seasoned over decades, is not only friendly to the environment, but also reduces the risk of cracking or splitting of furniture in the UK’s less humid climate. However, please note that, as with any wooden furniture, some shrinkage and cracking can still occur over time and should not be considered a defect.
About our services
In order to meet our customers’ requirements, we aim to be as flexible as possible. For this reason, we will be happy to discuss alternative finishes and colours for any of the furniture items in the Oriental Garden Gallery range. In addition, we provide a bespoke service to produce individual items of furniture that are not available in our current range, and we can help to source genuine Chinese antiques through our network of suppliers. Further details of these services are provided on this web site…
Buy with confidence
At Oriental Garden Gallery our philosophy is simple – we want you to be delighted with any item you buy from us. For this reason we offer a returns policy that gives you complete peace of mind.
We also provide
you with a seven day cooling off period. Simply inform us within 10 working days
of the item being delivered that you wish to cancel the order. We will then
arrange for the item to be picked up at our expense and will provide you with a
credit for other Oriental Garden Gallery products or a full refund. All
that we ask is that the item is returned to us in an unused condition and in its
original packaging..
Where
to view our furniture
You are
welcome to visit and view a selection from Oriental Garden Gallery’s range of
Chinese furniture at our premises in the historical and picturesque town of Lyme
Regis, Dorset. Please see e-map for further details (map).
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30am - 4:00 pm,
Telephone: 01297 442592
Fax : 01297 24912
Alternative
Finishes
Most
of the Oriental Garden Gallery furniture range is available in a choice of
finishes – either warm elm, showing off the natural beauty of the wood; or black
lacquer for a more dramatic, imposing look. However, we can provide alternative
finishes if required, such as a lighter, natural finish or even other coloured
lacquer. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Bespoke Furniture
In addition to the range of furniture shown in our on-line
catalogue, we also provide a bespoke service for individual items. If there is a
particular piece of furniture that you cannot find on our web site, or if you
have a particular design that you would like us to reproduce, please contact us
and we will be happy to provide you with a quote.
Antique Sourcing
Whilst the Oriental Garden Gallery range of furniture offers new
and reproduction oriental furniture, we are also able to source individual
antique pieces through our supplier network in China. If there is a particular
piece of antique furniture that you are looking for we will be happy to help. We
can often provide several options for you to choose from and, because we can
ship your antique together with our own stock items, you save on shipping costs.
Please contact us for further details.
A Small insight into the history of Chinese Furniture
As in most
other Asian cultures, the custom in ancient Chinese homes was to kneel or sit
cross-legged on floor level mats. Furnishings were restricted to low level
tables, armrests and decorative screens, with simplicity and minimalism the
overriding themes. Some time during the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 AD), higher
seats first started to appear amongst the Chinese elite and their usage soon
spread to all levels of society. Evidence as to why this move to higher seating
took place is scarce, although the elevated status associated with being raised
off the floor is likely to have been a major factor. With the higher level of
seating came other types of furniture, including benches, long rectangular
tables and folding screens.
By the 12th century seating on the floor was rare in China, unlike in other
Asian countries where the custom continued, and the chair or, more commonly, the
stool was used in the vast majority of houses throughout the country. Over the
next few centuries furniture design and construction continued to be refined,
leading up to the late Ming period (1368 – 1644), which is considered by most to
be the Golden Age of Chinese furniture. By this time China had become extremely
prosperous, particularly its coastal cities, and demand for luxury items
including fine furniture had grown.
The furniture of this time displayed simple, elegant lines, beautiful curves and
superb craftsmanship. The quality and accuracy of joinery was so precise that
nails and glue were used only as supplements. Metalwork such as handles, hinges
and lock plates were designed to complement the graceful lines of each piece.
These were no longer simply functional items of furniture but had become objects
of beauty, and their timeless simplicity means that they adorn even the most
modern home.
Many of the
designs that first appeared during this period remained unchanged, in some cases
for hundreds of years. Drawings on paper were rare. Instead verbal descriptions
of ‘types’ of furniture were passed down from generation to generation, along
with the skills and craftsmanship to continue the tradition. In many ways the
artisans that produced the beautiful pieces of this time were far more advanced
than their European counterparts. One simple example of their technical
superiority is the appearance early on in China of the curved backrest, designed
to both please the eye and to increase a chair’s comfort. This same feature did
not appear in European furniture making until centuries later.
The majority of Ming furniture was made of timber from indigenous trees such as
pine, elm and zelkova (known as ‘southern elm’). However, the lifting of a ban
on imports in 1567 and the subsequent increase in maritime trade also saw the
use of tropical hardwoods, mostly imported from South East Asia. These included
the dense, precious hardwoods Zitan and Huang-Huali.
Although few examples of the originals remain today, a wide range of finishes
were used for furniture of the Ming period. These included heavy carved lacquer,
sometimes inlaid with mother of pearl or agate; plainer red or black lacquer;
and a more natural finish, allowing the grain to stand out and the beauty of the
wood to be the main focus of the piece. Contrary to the image often held in
Western minds of opulent painted and lacquered items, evidence suggests that the
elite scholars and officials of the time preferred a more refined and restrained
finish.
Furniture produced during the early Qing period (1644 – 1911) was similar to
Ming and continued to display classic, simple lines. However a change in style
gradually appeared, and by the end of the 18th century the purity of Ming
furniture had been replaced by angular forms and overly ornate carvings.
The designs
that came out of China during the Ming dynasty were much admired by the
Europeans and have had a major influence on Western interior design. The
timeless simplicity and perfect proportions of Ming furniture allow these pieces
to blend in with your own style of decor, and we hope that you will find
something to delight you amongst the Oriental Garden Gallery range. We
feel sure we can bring you the best of oriental style direct to your home.
How to Order:
E-mail your
enquiies to us at
orders@OrientalGardenGallery.co.uk, including your name, address and phone
number, the product code and required finish. We will call you back within one
working day to confirm your order and to take payment details. Alternatively,
use our automated e-mail order form by selecting ‘Order Now’ from the relevant
product page of our online catalogue, or fill in your details on our
contact page.
By post:
Send your enquiies by post to:
Customer Services
Oriental Garden Gallery
2 Pound Street
Lyme Regis Dorset
DT7 3HZ
Payment
For all items held in stock we require full payment,
including any delivery charge, when you place your order. We will inform you
when confirming your order and before processing payment if an item is held in
stock. Generally stock items include any accessories and smaller items of
furniture. Larger items are unlikely to be held in stock.
For all items not held in stock we require a 50% deposit of the full amount, including any delivery charge, when you place your order. The remaining 50% must be paid when we inform you that your goods are ready for delivery. No item will be delivered until full payment has been received.
Deposits
Once an Order has been placed -
the deposit requested will be deemed
non returnable.
This is because we have to transfer payment to the factory prior to work commencing on any piece of furniture.
If - for any reason the Purchaser decides they want to change the specifications after payment of the deposit - we will try to satisfy their requests if at all possible. For obvious reasons, this will not be possible if the production process has begun on the item requested – and Oriental Garden Gallery accepts no liability if this should happen.
Balance Payments
Collection or Local delivery:
Balance payments are required on delivery or collection of the goods by way of Bank Draft or cash. If you wish to pay beforehand - we can take balance payments by Switch or Debit or Credit card.
Goods sent onwards in crates by Freight Agents:
We require payment in full of all consignments which are to be sent out by our Freight Forwarding Agents in advance of the goods leaving our warehouse.
Lead times
All lead times given are approximate and can only be
given once we have
placed an order for a container load. Due to the nature of our business, it
can sometimes take time to fill a container, but this is outside of our
control.
Please note that because the goods are made abroad and then have to be shipped and Customs cleared, we cannot be specific about delivery dates. We will, however, give a good estimate based on the information supplied to us by the factory if required.
Delivery
Please note that the majority of Oriental Garden Gallery
furniture is made to order and that we only hold a limited amount of stock. We
will let you know when confirming your order if an item is held in stock and, if
it is not, we will inform you of likely delivery times. As most items are hand
crafted in response to an order and shipment times from China can vary, please
allow up to 90 days from receipt of your deposit for delivery of any non-stock
items. In most cases we will be able to deliver well within the 90-day period.
Where we hold an item in stock, we will deliver the item to you within 30 days
of receiving your payment.
We will notify you when your goods are ready for delivery and will make every
effort to arrange a delivery time that is suitable for you.
Note that delivery charges quoted on this web site apply to mainland UK
addresses only, and that there will be an additional charge for deliveries to
addresses outside of the UK. We will always inform you of the delivery charge
before processing any payment.
Trade Enquiries
If enquiring on behalf of a retail outlet, hotel, office,
property developer or other business, please contact Jinling or Terry Lewis on
01297 442592
Oriental Garden Gallery, the specialist importer and retailer of classical Chinese furniture, has launched a new interactive web site to allow customers to more easily view and order from its range of hand-crafted cabinets, coffee tables, screens, trunks and accessories. The web site allows visitors to view the full range of available products, and provides a simple way for customers to place an order or enquire about a product by e-mail. The site also includes details of special offers and other services provided by Oriental Garden Gallery.
"The Internet is an ideal way to research and shop for furniture, particularly if you are looking for something fairly specialised like our oriental furniture range,” says Jinling, founder of Oriental Garden Gallery. "The type of furniture we provide is not widely available in most parts of the UK. Now our customers, wherever they are based, have a simple, convenient way to view in detail any of our products and to order these by e-mail."
Oriental Garden
Gallery's satisfaction guarantee also takes away any risk associated with the
on-line purchase of more expensive items. If a customer is not entirely
satisfied with a piece of furniture when it is delivered,
In addition to the online product catalogue and information on services and special offers, www.orientalgardengallery.co.uk provides information on the background and development of Chinese furniture, as well as on the items the company sells. Chinese furniture has a very rich history in terms of the craft, techniques and materials used in its construction and in the way it has developed from the mat level culture that remained in other Asian countries.
The appeal of this furniture
lies in the skills of the craftsmen who make it and who respect the natural
materials they work with – allowing the wood to provide both structure and
decoration, avoiding artificial embellishment. This classic simplicity is
timeless and is the reason why the pieces in the collection at Oriental Garden
Gallery are so well suited to contemporary living.
This website is an extension of the showroom – a garden gallery in the heart of
Dorset, in the historic town of Lyme Regis. All items are sourced by Terry and
his wife, Jinling, direct from China. Their aim is to source furniture that
gives a direct insight into how Chinese people lived hundreds of years ago. This
is the furniture that the Chinese have been using in their homes for years and
have passed down through the generations. Each piece has a history and a story
to tell.
A personal message to you from the owners of Oriental Garden Gallery:
”Hunting for antiques is a journey and should also be great fun. We hope you
enjoy browsing the website and that you visit us soon.
Best wishes and we look forward to meeting you soon.
Jinling Lewis & Terry Lewis
All images and Content on this site are property of Oriental Garden Gallery. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of images from this site is strictly prohibited.
