Mid Qing dynasty China Altar Table c. 1700 - 1800s hardwood

With clean lines and slightly raised flanged edges, the late Qing Dynasty altar table is a restrained, beautifully finished and sophisticated piece of furniture. The table is a fine example of the hand crafted construction techniques employed by traditional Chinese cabinet makers.

“The traditional Chinese cabinet-maker took pride in his workmanship, using only wooden pins if absolutely necessary to hold a piece together, rarely using glue and no turning. The use of metal nails was virtually taboo and glue was only permitted in certain applications, such as fixing an ornamental frame to a sunken panel. Only those considered unskilled used a turning lathe. A true craftsman carved all bars, uprights, cabriole legs, club feet and braces directly from the same wood as the item, in the one operation.

Carving was an art in itself and carried out generously as an integral part of the piece of furniture. The nature of the woods used, being both strong and elastic, allowed the finest carving and most complex joints.”

- Wayne Ricketts