This antique low table in elm wood is a Chinese kang table with a solid top and shaped aprons, raised on four round legs joined by stretchers. It originates from China, from the late Qing dynasty, where elm was worked with mortise-and-tenon joinery.
Kang tables were used on the heated platform of the Chinese home, as a low surface for tea, meals and reading. Their reduced height answered to a domestic life close to the floor.
The top is solid elm, set on round-section legs braced by stretchers, with shaped aprons beneath the edge. The joints are mortise-and-tenon, fitted by hand, and the wood keeps its tool marks.
The patina is warm and uneven, a chestnut tone with the grain visible beneath soft wear. Small marks and stains from use run across the surface and confirm its authenticity.
For its low height and contained proportion, it serves as a coffee table before a sofa or as an Asian-feeling tea table. It fits wabi-sabi, japandi and contemporary rustic interiors, where it brings a serene presence.
Details
- Dimensions: Length 85 cm – Width 46 cm – Height 28 cm
- Style: Qing dynasty
- Materials and techniques: Solid elm; traditional Chinese mortise-and-tenon joinery.
- Place of origin: China
- Period: Late Qing dynasty
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1900
- Condition: Good. Honest patina and wear on the elm, with marks and stains consistent with use. Wear consistent with age and use.
This piece is part of the curated collection of Amaru Antiques, Barcelona.
ONE OF A KIND PIECE
