Low Square Table with Drawers

Shanxi, circa 1800
This square shaped table is made from elm and dates from the beginning of the nineteenth century. Traces of the original dark lacquer are still intact, but this has largely worn down to the paler wood colour underneath, revealing the wide grain of the elm. The hardware between the upper drawers is old, once used to secure the drawers in place. The two lower drawers are actually new additions, made using the old fixed panels to provide extra storage space. When the table was produced the lower space inside the table would have provided a secure area for holding valuables, accessible only by removing the drawers above. Below the drawers is a carved apron, fitted above legs that end in horse hoof shaped feet.