| When contraditions can create new possibilities, then a | | | | where our warehouse is located. |
| refreshing wind can lift a market which was supposed | | | | Once in Beijing, these people call us and we purchase |
| to be almost dead. | | | | from them what we consider more valuable or, if we |
| The sourcing of authentic old furniture from China was | | | | want to cut the costs, the whole truck load, without |
| getting hard and expensive; for this reason many | | | | making any selection. |
| companies decided to quit the business and change it | | | | We do have contacts with "collectors" from several |
| into a manufacturing one: loads of cheaply made new | | | | regions such as: Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Sha'anxi, |
| furniture and "reproductions" has been made for the | | | | Gansu, Dongbei, Zhejiang, Fujian, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, |
| western market until saturation. | | | | Qinghai, Tianjin area, Beijing area, Shanghai area, Anhui, |
| Now the customers' request is back to good old | | | | etc. |
| genuine antiques, vernacular furniture and rustic | | | | 1.2 How we restore furniture. |
| reclaimed-wood pieces: unfortunately, now very few | | | | Once we purchase the old unrestored pieces from the |
| suppliers in China can meet such a request. | | | | "collectors", the next step is to clean each piece. We |
| The lack of old furniture and reclaimed wood has been | | | | wash the furniture and we take rid of everything that |
| such that only the most competent and reliable | | | | wasn't originally part of the furniture itself ( extra |
| suppliers managed to survive the crisis. Among them, | | | | hardware, screws, added patches, new paint, etc…). |
| Ke Chinese Furniture has been always distinguished | | | | After the cleaning process, we dismantle the furniture |
| itself for its tight management and quality control | | | | and repair all the joinery in order to make the piece |
| system, for its range of side services and its | | | | solid and stable. |
| unbeatable customers service. | | | | Usually, some parts of the furniture have to be |
| The company Ke Chinese Furniture ( registered in | | | | replaced: wood that has been worn out by the time, |
| China as Jiahe Gongsi, Reg. N. 110 222 1097126 ), was | | | | weather, misusage or simply insects. |
| founded in Beijing, China at the beginning of the year | | | | The piece is re-assembled, hand-sanded and |
| 1998. | | | | re-touched with color in order to make it looks smooth |
| Our main purpose is the restoration and refurbishing of | | | | and uniform. Still, we do our best to keep it as original |
| antique and semi-antique wooden furniture from | | | | as possible, avoiding to take away its original patina. |
| mainland China, Inner Mongolia and Tibet. | | | | Of course, sometimes that is plain impossible (because |
| Recently, we also added to our inventory some | | | | of the very bad conditions in which we received the |
| reproductions and new design pieces mostly made of | | | | piece….) and we do have to scratch away all the |
| reclaimed wood in Hebei area where the climate is | | | | surface's patina and paint and bring the piece back to |
| quite dry. | | | | natural wood. |
| PROCESS. | | | | The final finishing is according to our customers' |
| 1.1 How we acquire antique and semi-antique wooden | | | | request: can either be shellac or neutral wax. |
| furniture. | | | | 1.3 How and what we sell. |
| China is one of the largest countries in the world, rich in | | | | As a wholesale dealer, we only sell by containers; we |
| history and culture. | | | | don't sell single pieces, we don't do any retail. |
| The incredible variety of local customs, traditions and | | | | For this reason, we can offer to our customers the |
| cultural patterns made possible during the centuries for | | | | lowest prices as possible, understanding the fact that |
| the development of a rich variety of furniture styles | | | | most of our customers are wholesalers/retailers in |
| and construction methods. | | | | their own countries. |
| Practically speaking, each region of China has its own | | | | As restorers, our main product is antique and |
| furniture style. | | | | semi-antique furniture, usually pieces which have an |
| When we talk about Chinese Traditional furniture, the | | | | average age between 200 and 60 years old. We |
| main divide is between the so-called Classical furniture | | | | consider antiques all the pieces which are older than |
| and Vernacular furniture or, according to Chinese | | | | 100 years and semi-antiques all the pieces between 50 |
| experts, Hardwood furniture and Softwood furniture. | | | | to 100 years of age. |
| Classical hardwood furniture was made for the | | | | Recently we've also added reproductions and new |
| wealthy people, was expensive and finely crafted. | | | | models in our stock. |
| Such pieces, nowadays are considered as top | | | | Because we don't have the necessary equipment, we |
| antiques, the kind of Chinese furniture which can be | | | | don't manufacture furniture by ourselves: we do |
| purchased from auction houses and private collectors. | | | | subcontract our orders to minor factories scattered |
| Vernacular softwood furniture was made and used by | | | | around the Hebei region area. |
| the common people; some was of a better quality, | | | | Such factories provide us with softwood reproductions |
| usually reproductions of hardwood pieces made for | | | | of Chinese Classical furniture, Japanese and Korean |
| the middle class of scholars and merchants; most was | | | | furniture. On demand, they also manufacture new |
| more rough and "heavy" in design, made for everyday | | | | furniture according to our own designs. Finishing is |
| usage in the countryside. | | | | made in our workshop. |
| We at KE Chinese Furniture, are specialized in the | | | | 1.4 Antique Certification |
| restoration of Vernacular softwood furniture which we | | | | Each piece of furniture is inspected by an appointed |
| collect from the villages and countryside all around | | | | officer from the Cultural & Relics Bureau of Beijing |
| China. | | | | prior to shipment. |
| The "collection" process is quite simple: we do have | | | | The inspection's main reason is to avoid the export of |
| contacts with local "collectors" (people whose job is to | | | | valuable cultural relics/antiques which is forbidden by |
| collect old furniture from the farmers and peasants | | | | the Chinese government. |
| houses…) who, once they put together enough | | | | Each time a container's load is inspected, a Certificate |
| furniture, send one or more trucks loads to Beijing, | | | | of Antiquity is released. |