Finely Carved Five Drawer Altar

c. 1800

$18,280

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Dimensions

W: 97.5" D: 17.75" H: 36.5"

Materials

Materials
Northern Elmwood

Purchase Quantity

Collection #

DVA049

Estimated Shipping

$980

Altar tables with everted ends seen in Chinese paintings and prints are typically depicted in a grand context, and so it is thought that the upward-ending surface signifies status and power. This ornate 19th-century console table has five drawers finely carved with scholars' books and scrolls, representing knowledge and scholarship. The table's elaborate apron is carved with auspicious bats for good fortune, framed by lacy spandrels carved with flying dragons symbolizing power and strength. Its shapely curved legs end in magnificent ruyi forms for good blessings.

Additional Dimensions:
Drawers: 11"W x 12.5"D x 4.75"H

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Fungus of Immortality

Originally a Daoist symbol from ancient Chinese mythology, the ruyi is an auspicious symbol that references the lingzhi fungus, also known as reishi, a mushroom with healing properties thought to ensure immortality.