Elm Bough Bench

Bending like the swaying bough of an elm tree, this early 20th-century courtyard bench from China's Shanxi province captivates with a delicate silhouette and graceful asymmetry. Shaped from a young elmwood branch, the narrow seat follows the natural contours of the wood, arching slightly with organic movement. The bench is supported by thin, splayed legs linked by stretchers with mortise-and-tenon joinery, without the use of nails or screws. With its weathered texture and meandering form, the unusual bench is as much a work of sculpture as it is a functional seat.