Minneapolis Institute of Art

Six-Leg Folding Basin Stand

China

Date

late 16th–early 17th century

Medium

Huanghuali hardwood

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Round flat basins called pan were already used for ritual hand washing during the Bronze Age. With time, the metal basins were set on small stands and, by the tenth century with the advent of a chair-level mode of living, taller stands resembling the present one were developed. In a traditional upper-class Chinese household, servants would have supplied wash water to the various bedrooms. This elegant folding version was easy to carry and readily stored when not in use. Basins such as this were often accompanied by a separate towel rack like the one shown here. China, Asia

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