Mulberry Half Table From Gansu - Ca 1900

This Chinese half table is from Gansu province and was originally made around 1900. It features an exquisite cracked mulberry wood center panel. Mulberry wood has a beautiful and vivid grain, quite different from any of the other woods used for furniture construction in China. The frame and base are made from walnut wood.

Half tables (半桌 Bàn zhuō) have existed in China since before the Ming dynasty but rose to prominence in the Qing dynasty. Half tables were often made in pairs and used butting to square tables for additional space for dining. Half tables were incredibly versatile and used for serving food & wine, but also as standalone tables in the home. Note that a half table is defined by its depth being less than half its width. A wine table is usually at least as deep as it is wide. Hence the terms often being interchangeable.