Mortise.

Tenon.

The China Pavilion

The China Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo is composed of the National Pavilion and the Regional Pavilion. In the design of the National Pavilion, the concept of the traditional architectural Dougong and mortise and tenon structure was utilized.

Shanghai, China

Shanghai, China

The China Pavilion

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History

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History

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Application

Ming Dynasty, China

Ming Dynasty, China

The Huali wood round-back armchair features well-proportioned and fluid design. The circular frame is constructed from five connected sections, joined together using wedged mortise-and-tenon joints to prevent disassembly.

Huali Wood Round-Back Armchair

Huali Wood Round-Back Armchair

This joint is predominantly used to form a connection between two pieces of wood, offering robust stability suitable for various projects. While the joint is fundamentally simple and strong, crafting it requires precise measurements and meticulous cutting, posing a challenge in its execution.

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Tool

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Applications.

Tenon.

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Tool

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Tool

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Structure

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Structure

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Structure

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Structure

Ming Dynasty, China

This Huali wood wedged-tenon table employs a technique where tenons protrude from the top ends of the legs and fit into slots in the table's large sides, with inlaid wedged strips that tightly connect the tabletop, legs, and strips as one unit.

This Huali wood wedged-tenon table employs a technique where tenons protrude from the top ends of the legs and fit into slots in the table's large sides, with inlaid wedged strips that tightly connect the tabletop, legs, and strips as one unit.

Huali Wood Wedged-Tenon Table

Huali Wood Wedged-Tenon Table

Ming Dynasty, China

The tenon is an extension, or tongue, off of a piece of wood or building material that inserts into the mortise.

The mortise and tenon joint consists of two components: the mortise, a cavity, and the tenon, a projection designed to fit snugly inside.

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The mortise is a hole or mouth, cut into wood or other building material to fit the tenon.

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Application

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History

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History

The corner towers of the Forbidden City are among the iconic structures of the Palace Museum in Beijing. The extensive use of mortise and tenon joints in their construction ensured rapid building and effectively reduced damage from earthquakes.

Corner Towers of the Forbidden City

Beijing, China

Beijing, China

Corner Towers of the Forbidden City

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Mortise and tenon.

Zurich, Switzerland

Tamedia Media Building

Zurich, Switzerland

The Tamedia office building is constructed entirely from timber: columns, beams, and even wedges. The building was co-designed by Shigeru Ban, a Japanese architect renowned for his cardboard house designs, and Swiss engineers.

Tamedia Media Building

The word is derived from the French tenir, meaning to hold. A tenon must be precisely cut in order to fit into the mortise.