Antique Tibetan Altar Table or Bench With Drawer, 19th Century

Details

Description

Small Tibetan low table in softwood, carved on three sides with a repeating scrolling motif set within recessed panels, beneath … Read more Small Tibetan low table in softwood, carved on three sides with a repeating scrolling motif set within recessed panels, beneath a band of raised rectangular reserves along the frieze. Fitted with a single long drawer that runs the length of the case and pulls from the end, its face carved to match the frieze so it reads as part of the pattern when closed. Retains its original polychrome — deep cinnabar red with traces of ochre and gilding — worn down over generations to a soft, variegated surface. Overhanging plank top, scored and rubbed smooth from long use. Open at the back and finished on all visible faces.

Tables of this form were made for use at floor level, holding texts, butter lamps, and offering bowls in front of a seated person; the long, shallow drawer would have held loose-leaf scriptures. The proportions are characteristic of the type. Today it works handsomely at the foot of a bed, under a window, in an entry, or as a stand for books, plants, or a single sculptural object. It was made as a table rather than seating and is best used as a display surface.

Exact age and origin are unknown. The style and construction, hand-cut joinery, visible tool marks, and the weathering of the wood and finish point to 19th century Tibet. See less