Provincial Double Stretcher Wine Table

A tradition dating back to the Northern Song dynasty (960-1126), wine tables have been used in China for centuries as a spot to converse, sip wine, and make toasts at social gatherings. This early 19th-century lacquered elmwood table celebrates this time-honored tradition with its captivating, yet refined design. With slender round legs and a bare table top, the table's clean form elegantly contrasts the playfully carved spandrels connecting each set of double stretchers. Masterfully crafted with traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery techniques, the tabletop is outlined with a subtle raised bead, a water-stopping moulding intended to prevent wine from spilling onto the floor.