Minneapolis Institute of Art

High-Waisted Table

China

Date

late 16th century

Medium

Huanghuali hardwood and burlwood

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Set on extremely delicate legs, this small table represents a reversion to earlier softwood furniture styles of the Sung and Yuan dynasties. Paintings show lacquered tables of this form being used both indoors and out as incense stands. A small concealed drawer would easily have accommodated incense paraphernalia. The table could also function as a display stand for delicate objects such as flowers or antiques. Exceptionally light and elegant, it demonstrates the unique durability and hardness of huang-hua-li wood that allowed master craftsmen to create designs of exceptionally slender proportions. In Ming tables with a high waist the shoulders of the corner legs are exposed and stand out from the galleried sides with their inset carved panels. Comprised of small, light members that interlock with considerable strength, the frame seems almost weightless but can withstand considerable downward and lateral forces and is actually quite structurally sound. China, Asia

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