Studies on the Ming Dynasty Spring Stools Collections of Pengzhou Museum

In 2008, Pengzhou Museum and Chengdu Archaeological Team conducted rescue excavations on the tomb of Prince Chongning in Ming Dynasty, and cleared more than 200 artifacts, including 3 pottery spring stools. According to the epitaph unearthed from the tomb, the production date of those spring stools should be attributed to the year 1418 AD, which belonged to the early Ming Dynasty. They are the earliest and only physical object unearthed in archaeological excavations and with a self-assigned name. After collecting and comparing the spring stools unearthed in archaeological excavations and handed down from the world, we found that there are considerable differences in the shape of the “spring stool” in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. At present, there is a certain dispute over the shape of the spring stool in the academic community and there is no unified standard yet. Although those spring stools in the Pengzhou Museum are model funerary objects, the construction and production of Ming-style furniture should be regarded as the standard artifact of the early Ming Dynasty. Through the review of the documents of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it can be seen that spring stools in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, as common stools, can be used for lying in addition to placing objects and sitting, and their usage situations have diversified characteristics.