Small Chinese Kang or offering table, late 19th century.

Graceful and elegant, this small coffee table in wood and bamboo is a unique piece with its natural patina. The top is in blond wood, its legs are in bamboo and wood. It was made in an artisanal way. This ancient kang table from the qing dynasty from the 19th century is simple and refined, a perfect example of chinese craftsmanship. For the record: in the north of china, where it freezes several months a year, the living room of the houses is cleverly arranged around a heated platform where it is pleasant to meet to discuss, read and even sleep: the kang. It is a sort of heating platform measuring approximately two meters by two, approximately eighty centimeters high, built of brick and covered with a mat. It is found in the main room of most houses in the northern half of china, where it is very cold in winter. A trapdoor, located outside, in the courtyard, and which communicates with the kang, allows all kinds of fuel to be put in and burned there. In winter, the whole family meets there to chat while drinking tea, to rest, and to play cards. These tables were the center of the home, placed on kangs.