By Rebecca Schoonmaker , Staff writer
SALEM – New Englanders are no strangers to the sight of cracked ice. But the term is

taking on a new meaning this winter as “cracked ice,” a pattern commonly used in historic Chinese furniture and other Eastern-influenced looks, takes center stage at a new exhibit at Peabody Essex Museum.

“Inspired by China: Contemporary Furniture Makers Explore Chinese Traditions” compares traditional Chinese furniture from the mid-18th and 19th century with work by contemporary furniture makers.

“You get a sense of the environment from which the furniture came from,” said Lynda Hartigan, the museum’s chief curator.

The exhibit integrates a layout of about 30 historic pieces with the modern work created by more than 20 contemporary artists specifically for the exhibit.

Getting inspired

The crafting for the exhibit – overseen by Nancy Berliner, curator of Chinese art at the museum, and Edward S. Cooke Jr., professor of American Decorative Arts at Yale University – started coming together in June 2012. The museum invited 22 furniture makers from around the world to a three-day workshop to observe collections of historic Chinese furniture at Peabody Essex Museum and at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The idea was to inspire them to design contemporary pieces based on what they saw.

“We wanted them to understand the diversity of Chinese furniture,” Berliner said.

The artists got a glimpse of everything from fine furniture crafted for Chinese royalty to bamboo chairs used by farmers. At the MFA, they were also able see Chinese furniture makers at work.

Two of the furniture makers invited were husband and wife J.M. Syron and Bonnie Bishoff of Rockport.

“It was just tremendous,” Bishoff said of the experience, particularly with the Chinese furniture makers. “It was a great cultural thing. We were allowed to literally climb in and around the furniture.”

The artists then had until February to design their pieces, drawing inspiration from what they saw in the Chinese collections.

“It was exciting to see how all these artists were inspired,” Berliner said.

The pieces

Going back to the 18th century, Chinese furniture included a lot of lightweight mobile pieces, explained Cooke, since furniture was relatively rare and was often moved from room to room. As a result, “Inspired by China” includes several folding chairs, new and old.

Another prominent piece is the altar table – a common Chinese structure often used to display devotional objects. Historically, altar tables were rectangular with surfaces that turned upward on either end. Many furniture makers in the exhibit put a modern spin on this classic piece by experimenting with different colors and contours.

“It’s a central piece,” Cooke said. “It was interesting to see how people did different things with it.”

Bishoff and Syron were among the artists who chose to create an altar table for this show. Their table, which also includes a cabinet space housing a series of intricate shelves, is made of mahogany.

“We worked on it over a one-month period (where we both worked) pretty intensely,” Bishoff said.

Other common Chinese pieces in the show are low-backed women’s chairs, incense stands, drum stools (small, drum-shaped stools of various shapes and designs), and folding screens.

The trends

The cracked-ice look is one seen throughout “Inspired by China” either as a surface design or a lattice pattern.

“A lot of the furniture makers were very intrigued by it,” Berliner said.

Syron and Bishoff’s table features a polymer clay design by Bishoff with the cracked-ice motif on the front.

Many pieces take on an organic or natural form; contemporary artist Shi Jianmin created a stainless steel stool (and matching chair) that strongly reflects a 19th century Chinese stool made from part of a tree trunk.

Other trends include the use of silk, lattice work, and hidden drawers and doors.

A look at the past and present

The public can view the historical Chinese furniture and their contemporary counterparts starting on Saturday. The exhibit also includes video interviews with many of the furniture makers involved, with explanations on their processes and insights on the work that inspired their creations.

“A lot of people don’t realize how stunning handmade furniture is and how it really is a piece of art,” Bishoff says. “This collection is just gorgeous and a real eye-opener.”

If you go

What: “Inspired by China: Contemporary Furniture Makers Explore Chinese Traditions”

When: Saturday through March 4, 2014. The exhibit is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Where: Peabody Essex Museum, East India Square, Salem.

How: Admission is $13 for adults, $11 for seniors, and $9 for students. Call 978-745-9500 or visit www.pem.org.