This piece of work is well-proportioned with fluent lines. It is made of Huanghuali wood, the color of which is neither too plain nor too gaudy, just at the right point at which the grain is visible and is full of dynamic changes. The crest rail of the chair is made up of five sections, connected with mortise-and-tenon joints, holding them together instead of falling to pieces. The backrest and armrest naturally flow down in a round and gentle way. The back splat is made from a frame and three carved panels, with the top carved in interlaced Chi-dragon design; the middle hollowed with a Kylin design, and the bottom is Kunmen Liangjiao meaning an opening that lightens the feet. Kunmen is the carving on a Sumeru pedestal and bed stand or the see-through device at the bottom of a chair back splat, or the foot of a folding screen. The joints are inlaid with cupronickel gadgets to strengthen and decorate. Folding chairs of this kind were regarded as a sign of identity and status and are usually placed in a prominent position in the hall, giving a dominating presence.

The official's hat armchair was so named because of its shape. There are two types, the southern yoke-backed armchair and the yoke-backed armchair with four protruding ends. Huanghuali wood is the preferred material for the latter type due to its natural texture. The natural grain of wood and the beautiful elegant shape of the chair complement each other. This chair is a classic example of the yoke-backed armchair with four ends of its back and armrest protruding. In addition, a complete board of S-shaped back splat is applied and designed to create the curve that complies with the camber of the human spine. The chair features good proportion and smooth style, which not only contributes to its simplicity and sophistication but also to its comfort. The arch-shaped inner frame under the seat serves both as decoration and reinforcement. This shape is a rare object of its kind and has a high aesthetic value.

The six-post canopy bed named after its six pillars was first seen in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. This piece of work made in the late Ming dynasty comprised both canopy and bed. The front side of the overhanging board of the bed is mounted with three hollow carved slabs with the designs of two phoenixes facing the sun and two dragons playing with a pearl, while the front of the panel below is carved with a Kylin design, all of which are auspicious patterns. On the apron beneath the bed, there is a relief of twisted-grass and Chi-dragon pattern. Chi is a dragon without horns in ancient legends, said to be able to expel the demons and evil spirits. The overhanging board on both sides, the back of the bed and the open-carved railings are decorated with a cloud cluster motif, a mix of gathering and cluster. This furniture is elegant and beautiful, exquisitely carved and made of genuine Huanghuali wood. Canopy beds of the Ming dynasty are excellent in terms of both practicability and artistry and have been used and developed by people for hundreds of years.

Mirror stand is a dressing table for ancient people. This piece is quite special since it is foldable, with its cover plate on the top propped up at about a 60 degree angle. It is made by inserting panels in a framework of eight lattices. Six of the lattices are in relief of Chi-dragon (a hornless dragon) design. The central lattice is carved with a quadrel cloud pattern in openwork so as to support the bronze mirror. Right below it, there is a lotus-shaped base, which allows the bronze to adjust its position on the support. The lattice with Chi-dragon design relief is slightly thicker in the middle and thin on both sides, making the embossed patterns bright and full. There are two doors on the front of the mirror stand and the door panel material is the best piece of Huanghuali of the entire mirror stand, with its natural and smooth patterns, constituting a different landscape of the decoration on the mirror stand. Inside the doors are three drawers for bathroom suppliers or jewelry storage. The mirror stand is built on four stilts in the squat inward curving horse-hoof feet. The whole piece of work demonstrates a simple and graceful style with an extraordinary interesting artistic conception.

The painting-table made of the rosewood is broad and large, with liberal use of raw material. Rosewood is extremely rare and the rosewood furniture of the Ming dynasty was even less than Huanghuali furniture. And if the size of the furniture is large enough, then it is even more precious. This Zitan painting table with inserted shoulder joint is one example; therefore, it has been praised as ‘the No.1 Zitan painting-table’ since the late Qing. Its best features are a reasonable design of the support between legs and feet, sloping shoulders, apron-head spandrels and apron. The table features concise structure, with plump embossed lines on the spandrels and the rims of the legs and feet, and slight decorations on the end of the foot. The top of the spandrels is more capable of load bearing and serves as joints and enforcements, making the structure of the whole piece of furniture stable. On an apron of the painting table, there is an inscription of 96 words in total, of Pu Dong(1871-1952), the royal family of the Guangxu reign period of the Qing dynasty, indicating the ancient date of this table. It is the family heirloom of Song Muzhong's family. Song Muzhong, also known as Song Luo, served as the Minister of Personnel, excelled in poetry and painting. This painting table was a beloved work of Song Luo for his own use.

This so-called trestle table is a panel that places a narrow and a long panel on two trestles of the same shape and pattern. The trestles can be placed under the two ends of the panel or moved inward in isometric distances based on the length of the panel so that the weight of the panel can be evenly distributed and the middle of the panel will not droop. The panel is fully covered with the cloud and bat patterns on four sides in the carving technique called Tidi (carving the plain part of a surface to its ground to emboss the pattern by a half millimeter), while the trestles are carved with the passion flower design of the Western palace style. This kind of carving decoration is commonly seen in the palace furniture of the Qing dynasty which makes antique furniture a combination of Chinese and Western style, forming a delightful contrast.

This screen partition is carved with human figure scenery among lush trees, with nuanced and sophisticated technique. It shows great carving skill by expressing a larger depth of field within a smaller engraving depth. The screen stand is divided into three ring plates from top down, with one on each side. The plates are carved in openwork, giving the screen a breathable feeling and at the same time avoiding the dreary feeling brought by some carving and patterns from top down. The podium is circular and engraved with small lions. The screen is filled with carved figures and views. It is sophisticated and magnificent but still elegant. The different wood shades set each other off, displaying a profound artistic conception. Ginkgo wood has fine and soft texture. It resists warping, cracking and corrosion, and is easy to paint. It has a special medical fragrance with strong resistance to insects, known as silver wood. It is an excellent building material and superior material for wood carvings as well.

Antique shelves were very popular in the Qing dynasty, usually in paired combination. In the later period they appeared decorated with stained glass in Western style. This work is made of rosewood in classic Western styling. It has a capping on top and a base at the bottom. There are two kinds of doors on the cabinet, opening doors and sliding doors. All the glass is imported Western-style patterned glass and the door handles are carved out of ivory. The furniture carving patterns are basically in the Oriental style with the bamboo pattern on the main body frame. There are also the Eight Immortals in relief, flowers and plants, fish and bird designs, most of which are bird designs. In the middle of the top rack, there is a circular engraved phoenix, implying the meaning of all birds paying homage to the phoenix. The phoenix is holding a scroll in its beak and its head can turn around. With the corners of the components wrapped with gilt white copper ornaments, the shelve boasts sophisticated workmanship and elaborate carving.

This screen is a typical work of the mid-Qing period. It is extremely luxurious and sumptuous with decorations of various materials and in multiple techniques. The screen consists of five panels of rosewood. The front of the screen is engraved with dragons flying in clouds in high relief. The painted black ground is inlaid with birds, flowers and antique patterns made of white jade, sapphires, turquoise, lapis lazuli, rose quartz, coral, and agate, looking brilliant and shining. The back of the screen is decorated with the rolling clouds carving and gold-painted rocks, pines, bamboos and plums. The exquisite carving work, the genius design of multiple-jewel inlays and the elegant picture are presented in a careful, sophisticated and ordered way, showing high levels of craftsmanship. It is a typical work of the heyday of the Qing dynasty, praised as a national treasure.

This kind of cabinet is a large piece of palace furniture, found usually in pairs. Most of the cabinets are made from a large piece of high grade rosewood, except for the shelf board, the frame inside and the drawers, where mesuaferrea is applied. This furniture is of large volume, weighing hundreds of Jin (half kilo). The material used for this cabinet is stout and thick, with a dense grain of cattle hair. The doors are embossed with two groups of impressive dragon designs, all of which have five claws. The doors and the chamber board are respectively carved with ‘a black dragon admonishing its son’ and ‘two dragons playing with a pearl’. The latch between the cabinet door leaves is removable, with the tenons on the top and sliding chute at the bottom, which allows the door leaves to be disassembled and assembled at disposal when large clothing need putting in or taking out of the cabinet. On the top of the cabinet there are some mortises, which indicate that these cabinets were paired with a top tank, which is long missing. The cabinet is made of large wood with spacious structure and is the only example of a square-cornered cabinet seen in the world.

This chair is of delicate engraving, huge size and majestic presence. The low-backed armchair with a scroll shaped backrest is full of novel originality.

This set of furniture includes a table and four stools. The round table stands on cabriole legs with a floor stretcher at the bottom. The carved red lacquer craft applied on this piece is a craft that apply red paint on wood layer by layer and then carves the patterns when it reaches a certain thickness. This craft can fully demonstrate the restrained gloss and the exquisite beauty of lacquer furniture. The shape of the four stools is the same as that of the table, decorated with flower and plant patterns all over. The combination of the stools and the table is a manifestation of luxurious taste.