The evolution of sitting postures in Chinese history reflects profound shifts in social customs, power dynamics, and cultural identity. Through a comparative analysis of two pivotal artworks—Zhou Wenju’s Harmonious Music (五代周文矩《合乐图》) and the Southern Song copy of Han Xizai’s Night Banquet (宋摹本《韩熙载夜宴图》)—we uncover a silent revolution that transformed how Chinese people sat, interacted, and even governed.

The Tang-Song Transition: A Furniture Revolution

During the Tang (618–907) and Five Dynasties (907–960) periods, Chinese households primarily used low-level furniture. People sat cross-legged on floor mats or low platforms called luo ta (连榻), as seen in Zhou Wenju’s Harmonious Music. Here, musicians kneel on carpets, while host Han Xizai perches on a raised bed—one of the few elevated seats in the scene.

This contrasts sharply with the Southern Song-era copy of Han Xizai’s Night Banquet, where guests sit on round stools and high-backed chairs. The anachronistic inclusion of Song-style furniture reveals how profoundly seating habits had changed by the 12th century. Archaeological evidence supports this:

– Tang Dynasty Murals: The 1987 Banquet Scene from a Xi’an tomb depicts nobles sharing a luo ta.
– Northern Qi Art: Yang Zihua’s Scholars Collating Texts (北齐《校书图》) shows foldable hu chuang (胡床)—precursors to modern stools.

By the Song Dynasty (960–1279), high-legged furniture dominated. The anonymous Playing Ball Under Banana Leaves (宋《蕉荫击球图》) depicts chairs nearly identical to modern designs, signaling the completion of China’s transition to “legs-down” sitting.

The Ripple Effects of Elevated Seating

### Dining: From Shared Plates to Communal Meals
– Tang Era: Low tables necessitated individual meal servings (fen can zhi 分餐制).
– Song Onward: High tables enabled communal dining (he can zhi 合餐制), fostering new social dynamics around shared meals.

### Etiquette: The Transformation of Greetings
Ancient Chinese used ji zuo (跽坐)—kneeling with hips on heels—as seen in Qin Dynasty figurines. This posture made bowing natural:

1. Pre-Qin Period: Mutual kneeling bows expressed equal respect, even between rulers and ministers.
2. Han Dynasty: Emperor Liu Bang institutionalized one-sided bows to emphasize imperial authority.
3. Song Innovation: With chairs elevating users, standing cha shou li (叉手礼)—crossed-hands salutation—became standard. The New Year’s Greeting (宋《朝岁图》) captures civilians exchanging this gesture.

The Yuan-Ming Rupture: Kneeling as Submission

The Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) introduced kneeling (gui zou 跪奏) during imperial audiences, reflecting steppe traditions of servitude. This intensified under Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1912) rulers:

– Ming Code: Officials must kneel when addressing superiors.
– Qing Excess: Ministers practiced kneeling for hours, using padded knee protectors (gui de rong yi 跪得容易). The Stories of Virtuous Empresses (清《历朝贤后故事图》) inaccurately projects Qing kneeling onto Song court scenes.

A Mirror to Societal Values

Late Qing reformer Kang Youwei traced China’s declining scholar-official morale to this postural shift:

– Song Ideals: Officials debated emperors as equals in governance (gong zhi tian xia 共治天下).
– Qing Reality: The term nu cai (奴才—”your slave”) became an honorific among ministers.

Commoners’ status plummeted too. Qing legal archives show petitioners self-identifying as “ants” (yi min 蚁民), while earlier Song documents preserve civilians’ bold petitions against officials.

Conclusion: Posture as Cultural DNA

The journey from floor-sitting to chair-sitting encapsulates China’s transition from classical egalitarianism to imperial hierarchy. Today’s revival of luo ta-style seating in tea ceremonies and meditation spaces speaks to ongoing negotiations between tradition and modernity. As 20th-century historian Qian Mu observed, “Furniture shapes not just bodies, but the soul of a civilization.”

This silent revolution in daily life reminds us that history’s most enduring changes often begin not on battlefields, but in the quiet moments of how we choose to sit.