ASIAN FURNITURE : India, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Tibet, Philippines, Korea, Japan

Furniture was a relatively late arrival in Asia, where climates and lifestyles were markedly different from those in Europe. Despite foreign elements, each country developed a distinct furniture style reflecting its culture and identity. Rather than merely succumbing to practical necessities, Asian furniture was seen as an extension of the prevailing national ethos, and fashioned as a work of art. Today these diverse styles are treasured by collectors for their ability to lend unexpected flourishes to Manhattan penthouses or grace notes to Parisian apartments, adding breathtakingly exotic touches to otherwise familiar surroundings.