This antique low table in pine wood is a Chinese living-room table with a solid plank top raised on straight-section legs, joined by side stretchers with mortise-and-tenon work. It originates from northern China, from the late Qing dynasty, where local pine was worked using traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery.
In the Chinese domestic interior, low tables of this kind were used on the kang or directly in the room — for tea, meals or reading — close to the floor in a daily life lived at low height. Their simple, sturdy build made them everyday pieces in the rural homes of the north.
The top is solid pine, set on a frame of legs joined by low stretchers. The joinery is mortise-and-tenon, without nails or modern glue, and the edges retain the marks of the hand tool. The structure is firm and holds steady in use.
The surface carries a warm patina gained over time: the pine grain surfaces beneath the wear, with knots, darker veins and small use marks that give the top a living quality. The colour ranges from honey to chestnut, deeper at the edges and in the areas of greatest contact.
Its low height suits use as a coffee table, a tea table or a low side table beside a sofa or a futon. It fits wabi-sabi, japandi, contemporary rustic and Asian-inspired interiors, where it brings a historical note and an honest wooden surface.
Details
- Dimensions: Length 84 cm – Width 47 cm – Height 29 cm
- Style: Qing dynasty
- Materials and techniques: Solid pine; traditional Chinese mortise-and-tenon joinery.
- Place of origin: China
- Period: Late Qing dynasty
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1890
- Condition: Good. Honest patina and wear on the pine, 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
