Polychrome Shanxi table with two drawers – China, circa 1930

Kang coffee table with two drawers made of elm wood with polychrome decoration, originating from the Chinese province of Shanxi and dated around 1930. A piece with a strong decorative presence, halfway between a coffee table and a painted accent piece, representative of popular furniture from northern China. The tradition of painting domestic furniture with floral and geometric motifs thrived in northern China between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Kang coffee tables, located at the centre of the hearth, often received this ornamental treatment as an expression of family prosperity and as a gesture of hospitality towards visitors. It is constructed from elm, featuring a wide top with great serenity, two front drawers with wrought iron ring handles, and cut-out side brackets. The painted decoration — red, ochre, and green pigments on a light background, arranged in stylised floral patterns — focuses on the drawer fronts and the lower bracket, leaving the wooden top bare. The structure is assembled using mortise and tenon joints. Details. Dimensions: Width: 74 cm Depth: 48 cm Height: 35 cm. Style: Chinese popular furniture, polychrome Shanxi style. Materials and techniques: Elm wood; tempera pigments on wood; traditional assembly with mortise and tenon joints; wrought iron ring handles. Place of origin: Shanxi, China. Period: Late Qing dynasty – Republican period. Date of manufacture: Circa 1930. Condition / Observations: Good. Retains its original patina and paint, naturally worn over time and without invasive restoration.