Late Qing dynasty, Xuantong period (1908 - 1912) China Pair of alter tables, c. 1910 rosewood

These tables were originally purchased by Mr Tatlow from the Wolcken collection. Known as shen-an, (so named because they were used to display Buddha statues, ancestor tablets and offerings) the tables are fine examples of key-fret (decorative relief) carving.

The tables are rich in traditional Chinese symbols including the lingzhi fungus, symbolising longevity and immortality, carved under the curved end of each table. At the base of each leg is a single carved thunder pattern which is doubled and duplicated at the top of each leg towards the centre of the table. Thunder is the sound of fire and the laughter of heaven.

Next to the thunder pattern is a fine fretwork carved ‘endless knot’ one of the ‘Eight Buddhist Emblems of Good Fortune’. In the centre is a carved Chinese coin, which is of course, a symbol of prosperity.