Antique Elm Wood Kang Side Table

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Antique low tables of different sizes were functional furniture in China, particularly in the north where they were necessary for … Read more Antique low tables of different sizes were functional furniture in China, particularly in the north where they were necessary for use on the kang bed. The kang bed was a built in brick platform that could be warmed with charcoal or firewood underneath. The low kang table served as a writing desk, sewing desk and a dining table. Since the Chinese eat with chopsticks and hold rice bowls close to their mouths, the table height surely never matters.

This kang table is made in the traditional style of the Ming Dynasty with a simple of form and elegance in looks. The rectangle table top is set in a mitered frame with a beaded edge,
slightly waisted, and has cabriole legs ending in hoof feet. The only decorative element is the apron in a scalloped edge on all four sides. A good evidence of age is how the table top is made. Two pieces of quadrilateral shaped wood formed the rectangle, it is a convention that did not continue on to the later period of the 19 century.

The table has been refinished and restored to its original form. This process has enriched the beauty of the elm wood grain.

Kang tables still maintain some use in modern living. It serves as an occasional table and it is best used as a base support for a scholar rock, a bonsai tree or a piece of sculpture. See less