The owner of the thatched cottage is Qu, who is the owner of Qu Family Courtyard in Qixian County. Qu Jiafu got rich by Qu Tonghai, the 14th heir of the family, who managed grain, oil, tea and illicit salt in Baotou and Inner Mongolia. Later, it developed into satin village, money house and tea house. After nearly a hundred years of operation, it has accumulated rich commercial capital and is called "one of the eight richest men in Shanxi merchants" by later generations.
After the establishment of the draft bank, in order to commemorate Qu's contribution, it was named after his word "Baichuantong", which means "All rivers run into the sea, and the financial resources are rolling in, and it is natural and endless"
At that time, Baichuantong set up 23 branches all over the province, with funds of nearly 1 162000. Banks are linked with officials and wealthy businessmen, and the official bank is also the main foreign exchange bank, with considerable dividends, which can be described as a rising star in China banking industry.
However, just as the development of private banks was in full swing, Qu believed that the extremes of things must be reversed and people must decline. He had a premonition that his bank might go bankrupt. Therefore, after paying dividends in the accounting period of 1902, he flatly withdrew from all the shares of the bank. Later, there was a serious situation in which the bank's capital turnover was ineffective, and Baichuantong Bank declined.
Baichuan Pass covers an area of about 1.300 square meters. The overall layout is rigorous, symmetrical, closed, patchwork, collusion between hospitals, and coexistence of business and living atmosphere.
The decoration of the ticket number is very elegant, with a lot of materials, which is not only rich in content, but also of high artistic value. It is equipped with tablet books "Hundred Blessings" and "Bai Shou", and the window lattice has "Lantern Scene" with the words "Peach Pomegranate", "Bat" and "Longevity" written on it. Drum stone carvings are engraved with dramatic characters' stories, which have obvious late Qing style.
A large smoking room was specially built in the ticket number to entertain customers who smoked heavy cigarettes. The sofa feet inside look very special, just like the claws of a tiger.
In ancient times, only officials with more than four products could enjoy this kind of tiger leg furniture; On the other hand, it can be seen that only big customers or officials in important positions who can bring huge profits to banks can get such high treatment.
In the production of classical furniture, rosewood, rosewood and mahogany are all very precious wood. These kinds of wood are rare and grow slowly, and the quantity is very limited. By the late Ming and Qing Dynasties, rosewood and rosewood were basically extinct and became irreplaceable natural values.
In the counting room of Baichuan Tongpiao, almost all the stilts against the wall are made of iron wood, with hard texture and tall trunks. Generally, the furniture made is relatively large, and the tent table is made of Huang Huali wood, which was made for the Ming Dynasty. It not only looks simple and elegant, but also highlights the beauty of wood itself.
There is an industry term called "leather shell" in wood antiques, which refers to the patina outside furniture. This kind of patina is usually a layer of glass, which is very soft and has an old feeling. However, the accounting desk in the accounting room is rarely used after use.
Silver cellar is an important place for Tibetan silver in banks. Although the furnishings are simple and simple, everything is carefully designed.
The silver box in the silver cellar is where the bank keeps its working capital. The whole design mainly embodies the word "Qiao". Although the surface area is not large, there is a small drawer on the side. After opening the lid of the silver box, you can see a big space.
This method of setting the grid layer by layer not only embodies the practicability of the silver box, but also highlights its safety.
In the history of furniture in China, different regions have formed their own unique styles according to their different backgrounds and lifestyles, and there have been Soviet-style furniture, Cantonese-style furniture and Beijing-style furniture.
In the late Qing Dynasty, the prosperity of Shanxi merchants and the construction of deep house compound promoted the emergence of gold medal furniture. Most of the furniture of Jin school is made of walnut, which is not as expensive as rosewood and mahogany, but it is a unique tree species with local characteristics in Shanxi, and the arhat bed in Yinjiao is one of them.
Lohan bed is a combination of bed and box, the upper part is bed and the lower part is bed box. The bed box is used to hide money, with a hidden lock and mattress on it, which can hide people's eyes and ears. It can be said that it is foolproof. There is also a basement in the back room. After the upper drawer is removed, the lower board can also be removed, which can store a lot of money.
The central hall and VIP room are the places for receiving customers and negotiating business in the ticket number. In order to show his identity and status, Cai Dong spared no expense to create the atmosphere of the hall. In addition to the building itself, furniture is the main means of decoration and display.
The mahogany mirror in the hall and the antique shelves on both sides are made of rosewood, which is the style of Beijing-style furniture. This kind of furniture mostly adopts Bo Gu pattern in decorative theme. There are peonies, lotus flowers and bottles on the antique shelves, which symbolize wealth and peace, while peonies and butterflies have the meaning of good news and good fortune.
Among all kinds of furniture, chairs are the most diverse. There are two plush chairs in the middle, which belong to the Ming Dynasty. The back of the chair and the armrest are both relatively high. The back of the chair is designed according to the curve of the human spine, and you will feel very comfortable sitting on it.
Originated in the Song Dynasty, the plush chair is the only chair named after the official title in the history of China. In Song Dynasty, in order to give a plush chair a seat, Beijing officials specially added a lotus leaf to the back of the chair, so they called it "plush chair". As the name implies, only people who live in Taishi are eligible to sit, and they did not enter the homes of ordinary people until the middle of the Qing Dynasty.
There is a bed in the VIP room, which is called "Changchun Tiandi Carved Cover, Longjiao Mounted Bed". Carving grapes on the bed symbolizes Changchun heaven and earth.
Peony represents wealth. There is a drawer in the lower part of the bed for storing clothes. The side wall of the bed is engraved with Ruyi and Lotus Orchid, which means wealth and prosperity. Moreover, this bed is a classic in furniture, which integrates various carving techniques such as relief, through carving, hollow carving and line carving.
The Buddhist temple worships Guanyin Bodhisattva. Businessmen pay attention to worshipping Buddha when they go out, and Guanyin Bodhisattva is the god who can save all beings in the hearts of ordinary people.
It is said that the Buddha in the Buddhist temple has been enshrined for hundreds of years and won the belief of the Qu family. Guanyin statue retains the original shaping style of Buddhism, including the figure of a man, the appearance of a daughter and Indian-style clothing. The so-called "you can't open your eyes if you see through the world, and you can't open your eyes if you understand the world." This is not only a true portrayal of Bodhisattva's practice, but also a warning to people not to do bad things and do more good deeds.
The family room in the ticket number is used to receive the families of young people who come to visit relatives. Indoor furniture is not as luxurious as the central hall and VIP room, and the furnishings are completely arranged according to the pattern of ordinary people. The flat wardrobe made of walnut on both sides is a work of the late Qing Dynasty with complete bronze ornaments.
There are 65,438+02 articles hanging in the reception room, which were given to Fang Bo, Henan Buzheng, and his wife Xu for their 60th birthday in 870 by Emperor Tongzhi. The main content is to commend the great achievements and birthday wishes of Mr. and Mrs. Wu Bo.
In the ticket number, there is a plaque of the "second generation patent seal" specially given by Emperor Guangxu. Because Qu Yuan's son once lived in the third place, he used the "patent seal". It can be said that Qu was a social activist who was an official, a businessman and a gentry in the history of China.
Qu Aiguo protected the mine, actively invested in modern commerce and set up new schools. Later, Qu Duofang raised funds, forcibly redeemed the mining right of Shanxi Mining Company from Britain, reorganized the Match Company, and donated 22,000 yuan to establish Qixian Girls' Middle School.
Everything he did was realized by the economic foundation that his father had laid for him. This plaque is in recognition of the outstanding contributions of the Qu family in commerce and finance.
Among all kinds of bedroom furniture, boudoir furniture is of high value. The dressing table was made and inlaid in the middle and late Qing Dynasty. The inner layer is miscellaneous wood and the outer layer is covered with Huang Huali, which not only saves a lot of precious wood, but also does not affect the beauty of furniture. You can see white carved flowers on the comb table, which are ivory products. Besides symbolizing wealth and power, ivory can also be used to ward off evil spirits and protect peace.
There are two chairs outside the boudoir. The chair surface is relatively low, with only the backrest and no handrails, which is a lady's chair. Ladies can only sit on the surface of 1/3 of these two chairs, but not in the back half. When sitting, she must put her knees together and put her hands on them. As the saying goes, there are standing postures and sitting rules.
On the wall of the boudoir, there is also an oil painting of the Qing Dynasty, a picture of mother and child's safety. In ancient China society, boudoir women had no status, and only by getting married and having children could they improve their status. Therefore, it is also called "mother depends on children for your picture".
The piano case in the boudoir is called chicken wing wood because the pattern on the wood is very similar to that on the chicken wings, and it is a rare wood.
In the Tang Dynasty, Wang Wei once said, "When the red plums come in spring, they will rush to your southern branches." This red bean is the fruit of Pteris, so Pteris is also called red bean wood and acacia wood, which is a token of love between men and women in ancient China, so the furniture made by Pteris is generally boudoir supplies.
At the time of Baichuantong's operation, the Qu family had a very close relationship with Ceng Guoquan, Zeng Guofan and Zhang Zhidong, the governors of Guangdong and Guangxi at that time, and the officials and businessmen were connected, making Baichuantong more prosperous.
The floor-to-ceiling mirror in the boudoir was a gift from Zhang Zhidong when Qu's grandnephew married the daughter chosen by Ma, the shopkeeper with a rich ticket number. Microscopically, it is composed of five rows of dragons, which is called "Qin Long Fulu". Exquisite carving technique is the best in the mirror.
The back hall is where Cai Dong lives. There is a conical official hat box next to the shrine in the hall. Generally speaking, the hats put here are only top hats, not flower feathers. It was a businessman who bought a fake official after he made a fortune. It has no real power and does not enjoy state wages. It just plays a role in brightening the lintel.
There is a picture of eight fan screens in Qianlong period hanging on the wall of the hall. The three-dimensional sense of the Eight Fan Screen Wind is very distinct, and it is called "Embroidery of Flowers", which is wrapped in silk and embroidered with colorful silk threads along the edge.
The first and last patterns in the middle of the eight-fan screen wind are bottles, representing peace. Next to the bottle on the right, there is a Ruyi, which stands for "Wen", and next to the bottle on the left, there is a sword, which stands for "Wu", and then there is a piano, chess, calligraphy and painting embroidered in the middle. Peony flowers on the bottle represent "wealth", lotus flowers represent "purity" and orchids represent "elegance"
The bed in the backyard bedroom is a mandarin duck bed, also called a lovers' bed. It is made of walnut, and the bed surface is hollowed out with gourds, which symbolizes the prosperity of future generations. There is a small bar in the bed, and there are small drawers at both ends of the bar, which can store ornaments on women's heads.
The side wall of the bed is a double sandwich, which can be used to fix mosquito nets or curtains. It seems to be very particular. It is said that Empress Dowager Cixi also used it.
The coffee tables on both sides of the bed are inlaid with blue and white porcelain plates, which were made during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. Porcelain has a pattern of eight treasures of Buddhism, such as a snail, a treasure umbrella, a white cover, a lotus net bottle, a goldfish, a dish length and eight treasures, which set each other off and have high collection value.
There is a coat hook hanging on the wall, which is called "Ten Idles", that is to say, it has complete functions. When there are no clothes to hang, hanging on the wall is also a perfect work of art, which is not only beautiful, but also practical and very clever in design.
The study is a world of literati activities, with a strong cultural atmosphere. The furniture in the study also requires perfection in production technology. Typical study furniture includes desks, picture boxes, antique bookshelves and piano tables. The study furniture is antique, harmonious in proportion, and perfectly combined with practicality and artistry.
Qing dynasty furniture pays attention to the use of carving, painting and other techniques, which is implicit. It can be said that the picture must be intentional and the implication must be auspicious. The antique shelves in the study are carved through and embossed, and the middle drawer is embossed with "dragon pattern".
In ancient China, it was the highest auspicious symbol among various auspicious patterns, a symbol of God's Wu Heping and strength, and also a symbol of "Dedi" and "Tianwei". Only monarchical aristocrats can use it.
The plush chairs in the central hall were made in the Ming Dynasty with simple lines, while the two plush chairs in the study were luxuriously carved, made of marble and inlaid with shells. In the sun, they are colorful and shiny. Red is the most beautiful, and Cai Dong thinks it is a symbol of good luck and good luck.
Like this set of furniture, it is relatively well preserved, with a small coffee table in the middle, which is very collectible in terms of material age, technology and completeness.
There is also a very special chair in the study. Seen from the side, the chair itself can be folded. The chair surface is made of bristles and is carried by officials when they travel. Generally, chairs are paired, and only this chair is single to show its uniqueness.
Hundreds of passes have been opened for thousands of dollars, and they are in full swing. For decades, Cai Dong has been ruling the business world, which is admired by future generations. The luxury furniture in the ticket number is enough to make people feel Cai Dong's wise business mind and luxurious life interest, which has very considerable appreciation value.