Shallow Altar Table

In Chinese furniture tradition, long, slender tables like such as this are known as altar tables and for centuries have been used to hold musical instruments, flowers, or precious objects. This minimal example was crafted in China's Shanxi province in the mid-19th century using traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery techniques, without the use of nails or screws. The table features a single shallow drawer, likely intended for storing incense. A finely beaded edge trims the paneled spandrel and runs down along each of the tapered legs. A wonderful example of Qing-dynasty furniture design, we love this altar as a console table in a hallway or behind a sofa.