Why we won't be offering a Black Friday sale
With Christmas fast approaching and big brands gearing up for Black Friday sales, it's easy to be drawn into the frenzy of big discounts and mass consumption. At Shimu we prefer to step...
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Why we won't be offering a Black Friday sale
With Christmas fast approaching and big brands gearing up for Black Friday sales, it's easy to be drawn into the frenzy of big discounts and mass consumption. At Shimu we prefer to step back from this recent retail 'tradition' through our ongoing commitment to...
Silk Roads – British Museum’s Latest Exhibition Unwraps the History of this Ancient Trade Route
Silk Roads, the British Museum’s latest major exhibition, opened last month and showcases a wealth of dazzling objects from the length of the ancient trading network. The carefully chosen selection of artefacts includes everything from beautiful Tang Chinese ceramics, to...
Antique Chinese Altar Tables, Shrines and Ancestor Worship: Bridging the Past and Present
Antique Chinese altar tables, shrines and ancestor portraits are unique artefacts from China’s history, which once held significant roles in traditional Chinese homes and which are now finding their place in contemporary interiors. Historical Significance and Traditional Uses In ancient...
Square Routes: A Fascinating look at Chinese Official Rank Badges
Looking at the many squares of embroidered silk hanging in the Shimu showroom or on our website, few would realise the fascinating meaning and history behind them. Beginning in the 14th century during the Chinese Ming dynasty and Europe’s Middle...
Time-Honoured Elegance: Exploring the Rich History of Chinese Lacquered Furniture
The chances are that when you think of Chinese furniture, you think of richly decorated pieces with a lustrous, glossy surface finish. This shiny coating is, in fact, lacquer; a hard coating which is applied to wood to give a...
When Chinese Furniture Takes Centre Stage in Film and Television
Here at Shimu we are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of original antique Chinese furniture and as appreciators of all-things oriental, we love to see furniture from China used in film and TV. With this in mind, we thought...
Breathing New Life Into Chinese Carved Screens and Panels
As regular readers of our blog will know, here at Shimu we take great pride in using, where possible, reclaimed wood salvaged from disused buildings to make reproduction pieces. From wooden beams through joists and roof struts or doors from...
Some Favourite Finds Hand Picked from China
I've just returned from a visit to China, catching up with our suppliers and lining up another collection of wonderful antique furniture to ship with our containers over the coming months. This was the first time I had been able...
Embrace the Natural Beauty of Spring With Dulux Colour of the Year 2024
Dulux Colour of the Year for 2024 has been revealed as Sweet Embrace, a delightful blossom pink and chosen by Dulux for its ‘kind, delicate tone that brinks a feeling of positivity into our lives’. Now spring is finally here...
