Bamileke 天圓地方

Yodex

Discipline:

Furniture | Exhibition

Location:

Taipei, Taiwan

Year:

2018

Description:

Why
Bamileke 天圓地方 tackles the challenge of revealing shared cultural threads between distant traditions, blending Ming Dynasty aesthetics with Bamileke tribal symbolism to explore universal storytelling, driven by their striking parallels in cosmic beliefs.

Brief
The project fuses Ming Dynasty craftsmanship with West African tribal design, reimagining the Ming Round-back chair and Bamileke Earth Spider throne into a single, cohesive piece that marries two rich heritages.

Approach
Using walnut and birch for their regal tones, we crafted the design with ten laser-cut acrylic templates and six MDF molds, including compound angles. Ming joinery ensured precision, while hand-shaping and eight layers of wood oil over two weeks delivered a harmonious, luxurious finish.

Outcome
The chair merges curved Ming armrests symbolizing Heaven with a Bamileke circular base for the underworld, united by a birch X-inlay on the square seat. This striking form bridges both cultures’ cosmologies in a tangible, elegant structure.

Challenges
Blending distinct aesthetics without losing coherence was tough—early Ming joinery clashed with the Bamileke base, demanding iterative tweaks to balance symbolism and stability.

Insights
Assuming seamless integration underestimated the joinery’s complexity—I’d refine mold precision upfront next time. The process revealed craftsmanship’s power to connect continents, deepening our grasp of universal design languages.

Product Details
Dimensions: w55 x d43 x h74 cm
Material: Walnut, birch inlay

Process

The Bamileke 天圓地方 project started with hand-drawn prototypes to blend Ming Dynasty and Bamileke styles. We shaped scrap wood into rough forms, using paper templates to test curved armrests for Heaven and a circular base for the underworld, tweaking angles for balance. Next, we hand-cut ten acrylic templates and six MDF molds with compound angles, guiding the carving of walnut and birch with basic saws and chisels—no CNC, just manual precision.

Handwork defined the process: we sawed and shaped each piece, using rasps to smooth edges and chisels to carve the birch X-inlay for the seat, ensuring Ming joinery locked tight without screws. Sanding refined surfaces, and eight layers of wood oil were rubbed in over two weeks for a rich finish. Early joints didn’t hold, so we recut molds by hand to steady the base.

Assembly came last—every part, from armrests to legs, was glued together in one final step, securing the chair with Ming joinery. Testing proved it held firm, uniting cultural symbols through pure handcraft and patience.