I’m heading for Beijing today
I’m leaving today for another of my regular trips to China, visiting suppliers and sourcing antiques to ship back to the UK. I’ll fly in to Beijing where I’ll stay for a few days, then travel on to Shanghai.
I have lots of meetings set up and will be visiting the family-run workshops where much of our furniture is made. Many pieces are made from reclaimed elm, generally the local elm known as ‘northern elm’ (or ‘yumu’ in Chinese). It’s been used in furniture-making since the Ming era and it’s a great privilege to see our craftsmen working with it. Whilst in the workshops, I’ll also be checking out our latest pieces and talking through my ideas for future additions to the range.
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As you all know, my great passion is Chinese antiques, and I have some interesting meetings arranged to look at some lovely pieces ‘in the flesh’. Although I have a schedule of visits to warehouses and workshops, I will also make time to scour the back streets and perhaps find some interesting discoveries to bring back with me. As usual, I’ll also visit some of the local markets to pick up accessories, like pottery, ceramics, stoneware, jewellery and decorative ornaments. As it’s the Year of the Horse, I’ll be on the look out for equine-themed pieces, like this bronze Tang horse on the right which I sourced on a previous visit (and which is available on our website). I have a list of furniture and other items which my customers have asked me to look out for: if you’re looking for something special, it’s not too late to ask! Email me now with details of what you’re after and I’ll try and hunt it down for you. |
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I’ll be aiming to update the blog whilst in China, so keep reading for more information on my travels, including any interesting pieces I discover while I’m there.
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