Bamileke 天圓地方
Ming-style joinery × Bamileke form
A cross-cultural chair that merges Ming round-back proportions with the Bamileke earth-spider throne. The piece expresses 'round heaven, square earth' through structure. Curved arms meet a circular base and a square seat with birch inlay.
Form studies
Sketched and mocked forms; paper templates tested curved armrests (heaven) and a circular base (underworld), tuning angles for balance.
Templates & shaping
Hand-cut 10 acrylic templates and 6 MDF molds with compound angles; shaped walnut and birch using saws, rasps, and chisels (no CNC).
Joinery & finishing
Carved the birch X inlay; used Ming-style mortise-and-tenon joinery; sanded and applied eight hand-rubbed oil coats.
- Challenges1/2
Early joints failed and the base wobbled. Recut molds and retuned leg angles to stabilize. Blending two aesthetics without heaviness; reduced ornament, let structure carry the symbols.
- Insights2/2
Template and mold precision determine joinery fit; invest earlier to avoid rework. The story reads clearest when structure performs the symbolism, not added decoration.
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