Huanghuali Table Stand

This petite display stand was designed in the 18th century as a fine display stand and constructed of a highly coveted and extinct hard wood, huanghuali. The wood was prized for its fine swirling and "mysterious" grain, often believed to reveal faces and ghosts. This table is exemplary in that two swirls on the main surface can easily be interpreted as a pair of eyes and another as a mouth.