Kang table from Shanxi in elm with drawer – China, circa 1930

Kang coffee table with a drawer made of elm wood, originating from the Chinese province of Shanxi and dated around 1930. A piece with low proportions and careful craftsmanship, halfway between a coffee table and a tatami side table, representative of rustic furniture from northern China. The kang — an elevated and heated platform that served as both a bed and a bench — has been the centre of domestic life in northern China for centuries. Low tables like this one were placed on it for eating, writing, drinking tea, or playing. The reduced scale is not an aesthetic whim but a response to a very specific daily use. It is constructed from elm (yumu), with a moulded top and a front drawer fitted with a forged iron ring handle. The side brackets and the lower bracket end in cutouts sculpted in the silhouette of a fish tail, the only ornamental gesture of the piece. The entire structure is assembled using traditional mortise and tenon joints, without modern nails or adhesives. The patina is warm and deep, with visible signs of use on the top and brackets. Small wear on the edges, dark knots, and fine age cracks testify to an authentic piece that has accompanied generations of domestic life before arriving at the gallery. Details. Dimensions: Width: 54 cm Depth: 39 cm Height: 27 cm. Style: Chinese provincial furniture, rustic Shanxi style. Materials and techniques: Elm wood (yumu); traditional mortise and tenon assembly; sculpted brackets; forged iron ring handle. Place of origin: Shanxi, China. Period: Late Qing dynasty – Republican period. Date of manufacture: Circa 1930. Condition / Observations: Good. Retains its original patina with wear consistent with its age and use, without invasive restoration.