COMPARISON BETWEEN THE WOOD CONSTRUCTION OF CHINESE ANCIENT BUILDINGS AND FURNITURE —TENON-MORTISE, THE CORE OF CHINESE WOOD CONSTRUCTION

摘要

With the evolution of the building style development, the standardization and technique of the furniture has been gradually separated from the limitation of the building, making the transition from a subordinate status to the building to a relatively independent systems engineering. The wood construction system with the distinct characteristics of the period and unique style has thus been formed. However, both are closely correlated in the aspect of the use of wood and the structure of mechanics, as well as the standardization style. Especially the tenon-and mortise work, which has always been the dominace in the field of Chinese big or samll wood-structure and the way of joining different parts for thousands of years, finally became one of the core technology in the making of Chinese ancient building and furniture. In China, the joint between the different parts of the ancient furniture or between the building and the component is almost completely dependent on various tenon-and-mortise stucture, forming a firm and durable whole which can be seen everywhere. There is certainly the inseparable similarity and necessity between the Chinese ancient furniture and ancient building in addition to their respective independence. The article deals with the tenon and mortise, outlining the status and role of ancient furniture and wood-structured building in the big and small wood structure for thousands of years in China. The subtle relationship and making technology of the design of the tenon-and-mortise work used in ancient furniture and ancient building has also been emphatically explored.