18TH-19TH CENTURY

The design of the present table was inspired by bamboo furniture. The members are carved to imitate the nodes of stalks of bamboo. The abundance of bamboo in China made it popular among the lower classes, as a cost-effective and more easily portable alternative to the more luxurious hardwood furniture.

Examples of this design, with the articulated nodes, are seen in huanghuali and various hardwoods. A pair of bamboo-inspired tielimu horseshoe-back armchairs sold at Christie's New York, 22-23 September 2022, lot 783.