Chinese Petite Red Lacquer Altar Table, C. 1850

Details

Description

In a traditional Chinese home, a long narrow table with everted flanges is placed in the main hall and set … Read more In a traditional Chinese home, a long narrow table with everted flanges is placed in the main hall and set with beautiful objects such as instruments, flowers, or porcelains. Often referred to as altar tables, these slender tables are also used as a domestic altars for familial ancestor worship, laden with incense, figures, and offerings. This miniature example was likely used as part of a larger shrine display or atop an elevated kang platform for seated meditation.

Cloaked in a richly aged red lacquer finish, the small table has a traditional recessed-leg design with a solid plank top, everted ends and straight, inset legs. The legs are linked with perforated panels of abstract cloud motifs and topped with an elaborate, openwork apron of flower blossoms and trailing vines. Years of use have imparted a timeworn patina with smooth texture and speckled imperfections.

Additional Dimensions:
Table Apron to Floor: 9.25" See less