Distant Lands is a retail/wholesale importer of Chinese and Tibetan furniture and decorative objects.We search to find original antiques as well as faithful reproductions that have some quality that jumps out. We look for the unusual whether it is the outline of a delicate Ming chair or the vibrant painted flames of a Tibetan shrine cabinet.
Our inspiration are the many peoples that connected two cultures. The Newari of the Kathmandu valley, for instance, who joined the culture of India and that of Tibet. Living in Nepal but trading with Tibet, they gradually forged a new culture different from the original two.
Another people who acted as go betweens were the Shanxi of northwestern China. Living on the border with the northern tribes beyond the Great Wall, they became traders between the two cultures, eventually becoming the most well known traders in all of China.
Our belief is that whenever two cultures meet it brings with it some kind of dynamism that accelerates change. Both cultures are somehow changed, hopefully for the better.
We hope that in some small way, by bringing some of the culture and objects of Asia to Seattle, we can act as an agent of cross-pollination. We believe that in some small way this makes Seattle a richer city.