From China to Yorkshire: The Journey Behind the Shimu Collection

Sourcing an antique piece of furniture is only the very beginning of its journey to Shimu.

Most of our collection starts thousands of miles away in China, where we search for antique furniture, ceramics and decorative pieces that stand out for their craftsmanship, history and individual character. Some immediately catch the eye with beautifully painted decoration or unusual proportions; others reveal their appeal more gradually through the warmth of aged timber, traces of old lacquer or small details that hint at their past.

But how does a piece that we first discover in China eventually find its way into the Shimu showroom in Yorkshire? Here we take a look behind the scenes at the journey that brings our collection together.

Finding Pieces with Character

When we're sourcing antique furniture, we're not looking for perfection. In fact, it's often the signs of age and natural wear that first attract us to a piece.

A beautifully worn lacquer surface, mellowed elm or walnut, original brass fittings and old painted decoration can all give an antique a character that simply can't be recreated in newly made furniture. Marks and variations accumulated over many decades are part of the history of the piece and, provided its structure remains sound, are often qualities we actively look for.

Proportion is important too. Traditional Chinese furniture was produced in an extraordinary variety of forms, from large storage cabinets and armoires to low chests, sideboards, altar tables and compact cabinets. We look for pieces that retain the balance and elegance of their original design but are also practical and fit comfortably in today's homes.

Looking Beyond the Surface

One of the pleasures of sourcing antiques is in examining the details.

Opening a cabinet can reveal old shelves, drawers or compartments that provide clues to its original purpose. Looking more closely at the construction can show traditional joinery and the hand of the craftsman who made it. Painted panels and carvings might feature flowers, birds or auspicious symbols that tell us something about the traditions and beliefs of the period or the status of the likely owner of the item.

Sometimes an antique has been altered during its lifetime. A chest may have been adapted for a different use, a cabinet repaired or a surface refinished. These changes become another chapter in its history, giving a new lease of life to an item that has already seen decades of use. Storage chests from parts of Gansu and Mongolia are a good example of this repurposing of old furniture. These were produced to hold rice or grain, with access provided via removable boards in the top. As part of their restoration they are usually adapted for modern use, with the boards sealed and doors added from the original fixed front panels to create a more practical sideboard.

Part of the selection process is therefore understanding what is original, what may have changed and whether those changes add to or detract from the character of the piece.

Furniture Shaped by Place

China's vast geography has produced many distinctive regional furniture traditions.

The materials available to local craftsmen naturally played an important part. Elm was widely used for furniture in northern China, while other regions made use of woods such as pine, walnut or camphor. Decorative traditions also varied, from relatively restrained natural wood furniture to wonderfully expressive pieces decorated with layers of coloured lacquer and painted motifs or heavily carved.

These regional differences are one of the reasons antique Chinese furniture is so varied. Two cabinets made for essentially the same purpose can look completely different depending on where they were produced, when they were made and the household for which they were intended.

Where possible, understanding these regional characteristics helps us build a clearer picture of a piece's origins and history.

Preparing an Antique for Its Next Chapter

Once selected, an antique may need some careful attention before beginning its journey to the UK. The workshops we work with in China are masters of furniture restoration, using time honoured methods and traditional joinery and finishes to bring new life to vintage and antique furniture.

Where possible, our preference is to preserve the qualities that give an old piece its character rather than trying to make it look new. Beautifully aged surfaces, old paint, worn lacquer and the natural variations in antique timber are an important part of what makes each piece unique.

Where heavier restoration is needed, the aim is to ensure that the furniture is practical and ready to be enjoyed again while retaining as much of its original character as possible.

After decades  - and sometimes well over a century - of use, the intention isn't to erase the history of a piece, but to prepare it for the next stage of its life.

More Than Furniture

Our sourcing trips aren't limited to large pieces of furniture.

Ceramics, lamps and decorative objects form an important part of the Shimu collection too, and searching for these smaller pieces gives us the opportunity to introduce different colours, textures and forms. I've spent many hours trawling the ceramic and stone markets around China and work with suppliers to find interesting new ornaments to accessorise and complement our furniture.

Ceramic vases and jars are a particular favourite. Whether displayed individually, grouped together or simply filled with flowers, they work particularly well alongside antique timber and more contemporary furniture.

Our forthcoming shipments include a new selection of ceramics alongside antique cabinets, tables and other furniture, and we're looking forward to sharing more of them as they arrive.

The Journey to Yorkshire

Once the collection has been assembled and prepared, everything must be carefully packed and loaded onto a container for the long journey from China to the UK.

A shipment can contain an eclectic mixture: substantial antique cabinets and altar tables alongside smaller chests, ceramics and decorative pieces. Bringing everything together takes time even before we factor in the lengthy time on the water, which means there's often a considerable gap between discovering a piece and finally seeing it arrive with us here in Yorkshire.

That makes the arrival of a new shipment particularly exciting. Pieces that I've previously seen months previously in a warehouse or workshop in China suddenly become a collection, ready to be unpacked, photographed and introduced to their new surroundings.

And, of course, opening a container full of antiques inevitably feels a little different from receiving a delivery of newly manufactured furniture. Every piece is individual, and often there are details that become apparent only when you have the opportunity to spend time with it again.

From an Old Home to a New One

Perhaps the most rewarding part of the process is knowing that the journey doesn't end when an antique reaches Shimu.

Many of these pieces were originally made as practical furniture for Chinese homes: cabinets for storing clothing, food or treasured possessions; chests for grain or household goods; tables used as part of everyday family life.

Their original surroundings may be very different from the homes they eventually find in here in Britain or Europe, but good furniture has a remarkable ability to adapt.

A nineteenth-century cabinet can provide useful storage in a contemporary living room. An old altar table can become a console in a hallway. A camphor chest can find a new purpose as a coffee table. The function changes, but the craftsmanship and history remain.

It's this combination of past and present that continues to make antique Chinese furniture so interesting to us. Every piece has already lived a life before we discover it - and bringing it from China to Yorkshire is really only one more chapter in a much longer story.