Chinese Side Tables

Antique Chinese Side Tables embody the understated harmony of Ming and Qing design — elegant in proportion, precise in joinery, and rich with the warmth of aged elm. Each table expresses the balance of form and function that defines Chinese domestic furniture, where simplicity and craftsmanship meet quiet refinement.

Origins and Regional Styles

Side tables were an essential element in traditional Chinese interiors, used beside chairs, in scholars’ studios, or to display ceramics and objects of contemplation. The finest examples were made in Shanxi, Jiangsu, Hebei, and Dongbei provinces — each region lending subtle variations in joinery and decorative restraint. Shanxi tables tend to show heavier proportions and darker lacquer, while Jiangsu stands reveal elegant lattice stretchers and fine grainwork in red elm (榉木 jǔ mù).

Materials and Craftsmanship

Traditional Chinese side tables were typically crafted from northern elm (榆木 yú mù), red elm (榉木 jǔ mù), cypress (柏木 bǎi mù), or other durable hardwoods chosen for their stability and beauty. The timber’s fine grain and soft sheen deepen with age, revealing a quiet dialogue between craftsmanship and time. Each piece is constructed entirely with mortise and tenon joinery, a hallmark of Chinese furniture-making that allows for natural movement without nails or screws.

Occasionally, export pieces were produced for Western markets — often more elaborately carved and made from dense, exotic woods such as rosewood or huanghuali (黄花梨 huáng huā lí). These differ from the restrained domestic tables in both form and ornamentation, reflecting the influence of the Canton export trade of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Design and Use

The purity of line and balance of proportion in these pieces reflect the Ming aesthetic ideal — beauty expressed through restraint. Once used for displaying scholar’s objects, vases, or incense burners, these tables now serve as versatile occasional furniture for modern interiors. Their aged surfaces, gentle wear, and traces of lacquer imbue a calm, timeless presence.

Restoration and Selection

At Indigo Antiques, each antique Chinese side table is carefully selected and sympathetically restored to preserve its original structure and surface. Patina, texture, and joinery are conserved rather than replaced, allowing the quiet elegance of time to remain visible. The result is a piece that feels both historic and alive — an enduring expression of Chinese artistry.