Low altar table in elm with raised ends – China, circa 1950

This low altar table made of solid elm, with raised ends, three drawers, and two central doors, is a long and low piece from northern China around 1950. Low tables with raised ends (qiaotou’an) inherit the silhouette of classic Chinese altar tables (an), identifiable since the Ming period by their upturned and curved ends. Brought into the domestic frame and lowered in height, they served as a sideboard, a low television stand, or a hallway console. The frame is assembled with blind mortise and tenon joints on square legs. The top band aligns three drawers with forged iron rings; below, two central doors—also with rings—close the cupboard, while the sides remain solid. The ends of the top rise with two turned elevations. The patina has reached the characteristic straw tone of elm washed by time, with pronounced grain and darker areas where the wood has been polished by use. Small marks on the edges and the grooves of the apron enhance the honest character of the piece, without invasive restoration. Long and low, it functions as a sideboard, a television stand in a large room, or a hallway console. Its elongated silhouette and raised ends integrate into wabi-sabi, japandi, or rustic-contemporary interiors alongside ceramic objects or paper lamps. Details. Materials and techniques: Solid elm; mortise and tenon joints; turned raised ends; forged iron rings. Place of origin: China. Period: Mid-20th century. Date of manufacture: Circa 1950. Dimensions: Length 144 cm – Depth 41 cm – Height 51 cm. Condition: Good. Wear consistent with age and use.