Chinese JoineryChinese Joinery
中文
Legs and bases
墩座结构
dūnzuò

Dunzuo (墩座): How Screens and Clothes Racks Stand on Wooden Blocks

Block foot · 墩子

By · Updated

Screens, clothes racks and lamp stands are tall and narrow, yet must not fall over.

They stand on a heavy wooden block with spandrels clamping the upright.

Chinese
墩座 · dūnzuò
Joins
Upright, block, standing spandrels
Found in
Table screens, clothes racks, lamp stands
Signature parts
Heavy block · upright tenon · standing spandrels
Compare
Column-foot tenon
Drag to rotate. Slide to take the joint apart, or press Assemble to watch it go together.

How it works

A heavy foot

Wang Shixiang notes that furniture with a small footprint and a tall body that must stand by itself often sits on a thick wooden block. The block is mortised to take the upright, and standing spandrels (站牙) clamp the upright front and back.

Drums and spandrels

In the Ming and early Qing a drum-shaped block (抱鼓) was often added outside the spandrel: it adds weight, holds the spandrel and is usually carved. The model simplifies the block to a plain one.

Proportions in the model are illustrative.

How it's made

  1. Upright
    Step 1

    Upright

    A tall upright that must not fall.

  2. Block
    Step 2

    Block

    A heavy wooden block.

  3. Mortise
    Step 3

    Mortise

    Mortised to take the upright.

  4. Spandrels
    Step 4

    Spandrels

    Spandrels tenon into the block.

  5. Clamp
    Step 5

    Clamp

    They clamp the upright front and back.

  6. Stands
    Step 6

    Stands

    It stands on its own.

Variations

With drums

Drum-shaped blocks (抱鼓) outside the spandrels add weight.

Four sides

Some bases have spandrels on all four sides.

Can you CNC this?

Yes, with small changes

The block mortises and the spandrel outlines are 2D or straight pocket cuts. A carved drum on the block is separate 3D work.

Free STL downloads (one file per part)

Before cutting or printing, read the CNC and 3D-printing notes on tool radius, scaling the STL files and their licence.

Questions

Why a block?

A heavy base keeps a tall narrow piece upright.

What do the spandrels do?

They clamp the upright front and back.

Where is it used?

Table screens, clothes racks, lamp stands.

Further reading
  1. 王世襄《明式家具研究》（Wang Shixiang, Research on Ming Furniture），第 119 页
  2. 王世襄《明式家具研究》（Wang Shixiang, Research on Ming Furniture），第 118 页，图 3.43a–c