TIBETAN FURNITURE -

It's rare to find monumental pieces of Tibetan furniture. The culture of Tibet dictates the form of the furniture.

The appearance of furniture in the Tibetan society began in the 14th century. Previous to this all religious and domestic activities occurred at floor level. Furniture was first used in monestaries and then found use in the home as well. There are six types of Tibetan furniture; the Guam (chest or box), the Chhagam (cabinet), the Pegam (box for religious books), the Thorgam (cupboard for storing religious implements), the Yangam (cupboard for storing luck related objects), and the Chogtse (table or platform).

The earliest piece of furniture to develop was the Guam. This simple chest or box was used to store things that are not in everyday use. A typical Guam often had a simple lift lid and slopped sides. Arrow headed metal fittings reinforced the seams and corners of the chests.

The Chhagam was developed in the 18th century. This narrow cabinet has two sets of small doors opening to a shelf. The top of the cabinet was flat. The original use of the cabinet was to store religious manuscripts and then move them out to lay on the top of the cabinet for study. This cabinet also became popular in the home to store kitchen wares, food, or clothing due to the easy access from the cabinets doors.