You don’t have to travel to the Song Dynasty, you can have the beauty of life you want in a study room

"The Peach Blossom Land in the Study"

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I don’t know when, the study It has become a standard feature in Chinese residences. Regardless of whether you are a literati or not, having a study room in your home always brings an elegant style.

Throughout the ages, people have displayed their beloved things in clean study rooms, spending time with them day and night, enjoying themselves. When friends get together, they can sip wine and enjoy tea together, and enjoy flowers and rocks. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to say that the taste and temperament of the owner are hidden in a person's study.

How to create a study space that is both intellectual and aesthetic? We might as well take a look at how the ancients did it.

01

The most suitable study environment

A sophisticated study does not need to be too big.

But it must be clear and clean.

In this way, it is easier to concentrate on reading.

In addition, the study room needs to be filled with books.

So it is good Good lighting and ventilation conditions are essential

With a few shelves of books, a table, a chair, a couch, and a lamp,

there is a place for daily meditation and peace of mind. Where

02

There should be a table and chairs that make people forget their tiredness

In the study The desk often needs to place many things, sometimes study utensils, sometimes playware, so the area should be large enough. The desk should be long and strip-shaped, but not too narrow.

The requirement for table legs is that they are slightly shorter and must be thin. If they are too thick, they will look clumsy.

In addition, choose a comfortable chair. It is usually equipped with a chair with pedals under the chair to keep your feet dry and warm. You can also prepare more seating items for entertaining guests, such as benches and square chairs.

03

Bookshelf is more than just a collection of books

Study, although it is called study, is Designed for people, its meaning lies not in the book, but in its environment, atmosphere and realm.

Therefore, in addition to collecting books, you can also use picture scrolls, calligraphy treasures, cultural toys, etc. to enrich your bookshelf. Sitting alone in a study, chanting to the sun, or reading at night with a candle, are rare happy and leisure moments in life.

04

View - Study Room Clearance on the Case

In addition to the four treasures of the study that we are familiar with, there are also many classic utensils. They are both practical and can be displayed as an elegant piece of scenery.

Just looking at the device type, do you know what they are used for?

?Shui Cheng?

▲? Mid-Qing Dynasty Agate Fushou Shuicheng

▲? Qing Dynasty A red glazed water bottle with four fish patterns and a Kangxi Xuande model, collected by the Palace Museum

▲ A red underglaze water bottle with four fish patterns, made by Emperor Kangxi and Xuande of the Qing Dynasty, collected by the Palace Museum

Shuicheng, also called water bowl, is small, elegant and interesting. It is a small water storage tank in the study room, used to add water to the inkstone. The textures of ceramics, jade, copper, agate, etc. are ever-changing. With it, you are one step closer to being elegant.

?Brush Wash?

▲?Brother Kiln Sunflower Washer, Collection of the Palace Museum

▲ ?Bamboo carving and pine washer, collected by the Palace Museum

Brush washer is a tool used to wash away the remaining ink after using the brush. In ancient times, they were made of shells, jade, porcelain, etc. They were widely favored for their clever shapes, wide variety, and elegance. Many of the brush washes handed down from generation to generation are art treasures.

?Paperweight?

▲ Topaz piano-style paperweight, collected by the Palace Museum

▲?Sapphire Small paperweight with bamboo knots, collected by the Palace Museum

▲ Paperweight carved with bamboo roots and three sheep, collected by the Palace Museum

Paperweight, used to press paper when writing and painting. Mostly rectangular. There are also three-dimensional shapes of animals such as rabbits, horses, sheep, deer, etc., which are smaller in area and heavier in weight. The materials are mostly jade, ceramics, copper, crystal, etc.

?Armrest?

▲?White jade carved bamboo-shaped armrest, collected by the Palace Museum

▲? Bamboo chrysanthemum arm rest, collected by the Palace Museum

Arm rest, as the name suggests, is a copywriting utensil used by ancient literati to rest their arms, mainly to prevent ink stains on clothes On the sleeve. Not only that, it feels very comfortable on the wrist when writing on it.

?Ink bed?

▲?Wood grain glaze pastel peony pattern book style ink bed, collected by the Palace Museum

▲? Sapphire scroll-style ink bed, collection of the Palace Museum

▲ Rosewood inlaid with enamel cloud head pattern ink bed, collection of the Palace Museum

The ink bed is a small case specially designed to hold ink ingots to prevent them from contaminating other things. Its materials are diverse, including copper, jade, stone, porcelain, wood, and bamboo. Its shapes are divided into case-shaped, seat-shaped, scroll-shaped, ancient-frame-shaped, etc., which can be enjoyed in the study or kept beside an inkstone.

05

Smell - the poetry brought by the incense burner

"Clean up the secluded room and admire the clouds and smoke on the table."

Ancient people often had incense burners in their study rooms. A stick of incense was burned, and the incense was lingering. The red sleeves were fragrant, and it seemed to have entered the realm of Penglai.

There is no need for too complicated etiquette, you can use it to admire the moon, use it to read books, use it to draw pictures, the poetry and painting in life are by your side.

06

Appreciation - the Tao in Flowers and Grass Follow nature

We often see plants and flowers in the paintings of ancient people describing their study rooms. Planting some flowers and plants in the study room seems to bring the tranquility between the mountains and rivers to your eyes.

Among all kinds of flowers and plants, calamus is the most popular among literati. Potted calamus grows on rocks in the water and does not require soil, so it is also called "stone calamus". Decorating the study with calamus later evolved into a culture.

Combined with the ancients’ hobby of borrowing objects to express their aspirations, calamus is undoubtedly the grass that represents “tranquility and long-distance”

07

Meeting - I have guests

If friends come to visit, The study is also a leisurely gathering space.

Arrange a couch, play Go with friends, sip wine and drink tea, cigarettes curling up on the table, and beside them are vases with rocks and seasonal flowers. Thinking about it this way, can the four major literati's elegant activities (sampling incense, illustration, tea fighting, and hanging pictures) be covered in one place?

Borges said,

If there is heaven, it should be like a library.

The library is too big.

A study room is enough to soothe people's tired hearts.

Here, read, study, and meet friends

As for how to turn a study room into a "Peach Blossom Land",

This secret is now In your hands

Are you ready?

—— END ——

Some pictures are from the Internet

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