Qing Dynasty Style Carved Redwood Sofa 5-Piece Set

Buyer Pain Point and Our Solution

The pain point: Qing-style sofa sets that are either oversized for residential rooms or carved by machine. European and North American buyers who specify Qing-dynasty style pieces for their clients face two sourcing difficulties: most Qing-style sets on the market are built at banqueting-hall proportions that overwhelm a standard 25 to 35 square metre living room, and the lattice carving that defines the style is increasingly machine-routed — uniform, shallow, and instantly recognizable to a discerning client as fake handwork. For the buyer this means either a set that dominates the room or a carving detail that undermines the premium price point they are selling.

Our solution: a compact five-piece Qing-style set with genuinely hand-cut lattice carving. The central three-seat sofa measures 185 cm — sized for standard residential living rooms rather than banquet halls. The lattice-and-phoenix backrest carving is executed entirely by hand: openings are cut with a fitting saw and finished with a carving gouge to 12 mm width, with each panel taking approximately 30 carving hours. The hand-cut openings show a natural dimensional variation of plus or minus 0.5 mm, which distinguishes them from the uniform openings produced by machine routing. Frames use mortise-and-tenon joinery with bamboo dowel pins and corner blocks, timber is kiln-dried to below 14% moisture, and the nine-coat hand-rubbed raw lacquer finish penetrates the wood rather than forming a brittle film. The value to you: a set that fits the room your client actually has, with carving detail that justifies the premium positioning — backed by a 24-month structural warranty.

Five-Piece Configuration

• 1 three-seat central sofa (185 cm length, 65 cm depth, 90 cm backrest height)
• 2 single-seat armchairs (65 cm width)
• 1 matching coffee table (110 x 60 cm)
• 1 matching end table (45 x 45 cm)

Dimensions at a Glance

Lattice-and-Phoenix Carving Process

The backrest panel on each seating piece features a lattice grid interspersed with phoenix motifs at the centre. The carving sequence is:

• The lattice grid is laid out with pencil lines at 12 mm spacing on the panel face.
• Openings are cut using a fitting saw to a depth of 8 mm, then widened with a carving gouge to 12 mm final width.
• The phoenix motif at the centre of each panel is carved in relief after the lattice is complete, using chisels ranging from 3 mm to 12 mm width.
• The entire panel is sanded by hand with 400-grit paper to remove chisel burrs without rounding the lattice edges.

Each backrest panel requires approximately 30 carving hours. Because the carving is done by hand, minor variation in lattice opening width (plus or minus 0.5 mm) is normal and expected; this natural variation is what distinguishes hand-cut panels from the uniform openings of machine routing.

Manufacturing Workflow

This set follows a six-stage production sequence distinct from our Ming-style line:

• Stage 1 - Timber Batch Matching: Siamese rosewood boards are sorted by heartwood colour tone to ensure visual consistency across the five pieces. Boards with colour deviation exceeding one Janka tone step are diverted to other product lines.
• Stage 2 - Kiln Conditioning: Timber is kiln-dried to below 14 percent moisture content over a 4-week cycle, with the kiln temperature ramped gradually to avoid case-hardening.
• Stage 3 - Precision Cutting: Components are cut to final dimensions with a tolerance of plus or minus 0.5 mm using a sliding table saw. Each piece is stamped with a batch number for grain-direction tracking.
• Stage 4 - Joinery Assembly: Mortise-and-tenon joints are cut and fitted dry before glue application. Corner blocks are installed at every right-angle intersection inside the frame. No metal fasteners are used.
• Stage 5 - Carving: Lattice-and-phoenix panels are carved after frame assembly. The carver works from a reference drawing but adjusts the phoenix relief depth to the grain of each specific board.
• Stage 6 - Lacquer Finishing: Nine coats of raw lacquer are applied by hand, each cured for 24 hours and rubbed with pumice stone. The final coat achieves a deep satin sheen.

Quality Control Checkpoints

• Dimensional Verification: Each component is measured against the specification drawing with a digital caliper. Deviations exceeding 1 mm trigger re-cutting.
• Joint Stress Test: Assembled frames are loaded with 120 kg of distributed weight for 24 hours. Any joint showing visible separation is re-fitted.
• Moisture Audit: Three-point moisture readings are taken per piece. Readings outside the 8 to 14 percent range require re-conditioning.
• Carving Integrity: Lattice openings are checked with a 12 mm go/no-go gauge. The phoenix relief is inspected under magnification for chisel marks indicating tool slippage.
• Finish Uniformity: The lacquer surface is inspected under 5000K LED lighting. Colour consistency across the five pieces is verified against a reference panel.

Moisture Content and Destination-Climate Conditioning

Timber for this set is kiln-dried and audited to an 8–14 percent moisture range at final inspection. Because equilibrium moisture content depends on the destination climate, final conditioning is adjusted before shipment: buyers are asked to state the destination country and the typical indoor humidity range at the point of use, so the timber can be equalized to that environment before packing. This gives a more reliable basis for cross-climate performance than a single moisture figure alone.

Compliance and Test Documentation

Enterprise Strength

Yunxiao Rosewood Furniture Co., Ltd. has produced classical redwood furniture in Xianyou since 2008. The workshop maintains FSC chain-of-custody certification and CITES export permit registration for Dalbergia cochinchinensis shipments. Specific production capacity figures, employee counts, and client references are available upon request. OEM carving customization and ODM design development are supported with a 15-day design approval cycle.

Trade Show Participation

Yunxiao Rosewood Furniture Co., Ltd. engages with international buyers through Canton Fair and Shanghai International Furniture Fair channels. Specific exhibition schedules and booth numbers can be provided on request. Overseas buyers visiting Fujian can arrange a workshop tour to inspect timber stock, carving stations, and the lacquer curing room.

Export Packaging

Each piece is wrapped in acid-free tissue paper and corrugated cardboard, then packed in an ISPM-15 heat-treated wooden crate with EPS foam corner blocks. The full set fills two crates with a combined gross weight of approximately 140 kg. Packaging has passed an in-house 1-metre drop test on all six faces; a third-party drop-test report under a named standard (such as ISTA or GB) is not yet available and can be discussed at inquiry if your market requires one. Every shipment includes CITES export permits, FSC chain-of-custody certificate, commercial invoice with HS code 9403.60, and a wood drying certificate.