Because of factors like social change and war, it is hard to preserve furniture. Wang Shixiang estimates that only about one out of every thousand pieces of Ming furniture has survived to the present day. Of these, perhaps only 500 can be considered outstanding pieces.
由於社會變遷及歷代戰火等因素，傢具保存殊為不易；王世襄也估計，千件傢具中只有一件能傳世至今，而傳世的作品中又只有五百件稱得上傑作。