Chinese Wrapped Apron Fang Deng Table, C. 1850

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More portable than heavy chairs, stools have been a favored form of seating in Chinese culture for centuries and were … Read more More portable than heavy chairs, stools have been a favored form of seating in Chinese culture for centuries and were used indoors and out at mealtimes and during social gatherings. Crafted of lacquered elm (yumu), this antique square stool (fang deng) dates to the mid-19th century, yet layers effortlessly into the modern home as a side table or nightstand.

The seat frame and stretchers are expertly designed with ribbed carvings and rounded corners, meant to imitate the strips of bamboo or willow used in early Chinese bentwood furniture. As though woven by hand, the reeded apron and stretchers appear to wrap gracefully around each of the round corner legs, a lovely detail that adds intrigue to the minimal design. See less