Provincial Half Table

With clean lines and a simple silhouette, this 19th-century half table from Shanxi province expresses the restraint of classical Chinese furniture design. Crafted of northern elm (yumu) with mortise-and-tenon joinery, the table's streamlined form features a rectangular floating-panel top, a waisted apron and short legs ending in hoofed feet. The naturally distressed patina exposes the underlying wood grain, adding to the table’s wabi-sabi appeal.