The first garden stools were probably intentionally placed stones, evolving to carved stones, then on to seats composed from different materials as new materials were introduced throughout mankind’s history. In our dealings with the ceramic garden stools, we have discovered that the Chinese garden stool is by far the most decorated and diverse.

This article is an evolving discussion on the diversity, origins and symbolism of Garden Stools of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Since ancient times, humans have found ways to utilize tools and technology to manipulate their environment and produce material culture.  Today Archaeologists continue to unravel stories and discover artifacts from various cultures that display some type of marking depicting a particular cultural world view.  The garden stool is a perfect example of how a simple functional object can take on many different appearances and meanings as modern man reinterprets the material objects from the past. This reinvention of objects and symbols is what makes humans so unique. Our material stories of today will be the mysteries of our descendants years to come.

The Dragon and the Garden Stool:

The dragon is a common mythical creature that is celebrated through various motifs, hand paintings, etchings and carvings incorporated into home decor. The Chinese dragon is a common symbol incorporated into traditional and modern garden stools.

The Chinese dragon is most commonly viewed as a powerful and prosperous symbol encompassing the concept of yang (male) and having ruling power over water. The Chinese dragon is characterized by reptilian-like features including a long, scaled body with four legs and five claws on each limb. In contrast to the European dragon which is viewed as evil, the Chinese dragon takes on a more benevolent role and is most commonly a symbol of power. During Imperial Times such as the Yuan Dynasty, regular citizens were forbidden to associate themselves with the dragon symbol as it was a symbol only entitled to the Emperor himself. Later in the Qing Dynasty the dragon symbol became a national symbol and incorporated into the national flag.

There are many beliefs and interpretations as to the actual origins of the Chinese dragon but they all tend to overlap in their general depictions of the dragon representing power and prosperity.

Incorporating the dragon motif onto a garden stool is the ultimate status symbol. Since gardens were traditionally created and maintained for the wealthiest individuals, common citizens did not have a place for such an object. The stools were used during Imperial times dating back to at least the Ming Dynasty. The garden stools would be placed in Palace gardens as status symbols and as functional furniture used as resting points.

The modern garden stool is both a functional piece of furniture and an art piece. Garden stools (often referred to as Garden Seats) have become a modern celebration of artifacts from our past. Though China seems to have the oldest representations of the garden stools, they are often referred to by many names including Japanese Garden Seats.

As mentioned previously, the Chinese dragon is a symbol of “Yang” while the Phoenix is a common Chinese symbol representing “Yin” (female). The Yin Yang concept is deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy, medicine and science. Yin and Yang represent the duality of all things. For more interesting insight into the concept of Yin Yang click here