Console table in fir wood, originating from the Chinese province of Shanxi and dating from around 1930. A narrow piece with an elongated silhouette, halfway between a household altar table and an entrance console, representative of the provincial furniture of northern China.
In the traditional northern Chinese home, narrow console or altar tables stood against the wall of the main room. On them were placed ritual objects, vessels, candlesticks or flowers. Their function was both domestic and symbolic: they marked the hierarchy of the space and drew the visitor’s gaze upon entering the room.
It is built in fir wood (shan), with a solid top and straight square-section legs joined by horizontal stretchers and a lower apron with cut-out spandrels. The back carries a blind panel that lends stability and allows the piece to sit firmly against the wall. The carpentry is assembled with traditional mortise and tenon, and the piece shows the internal reinforcements characteristic of Chinese artisanal workshops.
The patina is the most distinctive feature: the top shows a deep, almost velvety darkening from use, while the legs and apron retain a lighter tone that reveals the grain. The contrast between the two surfaces speaks of decades of objects resting on the table — of incense burners, of cloths. Small aging cracks, wear marks and slight irregularities in the joints confirm its authenticity.
Because of its narrow scale and its quiet presence, it fits naturally into wabi-sabi, japandi, minimalist or contemporary interiors, where it works as an entrance console, a base beneath a wall-mounted television, a support piece in front of a sofa or an altar table in a meditation corner. Its elongated proportions let it organize a wall without taking up depth.
Details
- Dimensions: Width: 93 cm Depth: 40 cm Height: 84 cm
- Style: Chinese provincial furniture, late Qing – Republican period
- Materials and techniques: Fir wood (shan); traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery; lower apron with cut-out spandrels; back panel
- Place of origin: Shanxi, China
- Period: Late Qing Dynasty – Republican period
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1930
- Condition: Good. Retains its original patina with a use-darkened top. Wear consistent with age and use
This piece is part of the curated collection of Amaru Antiques, Barcelona.
ONE OF A KIND PIECE
