Low table; China, Qing dynasty, 19th century.

Low table (Kang); China, Qing dynasty, 19th century.
Huanghuali wood with mother-of-pearl inlay.
Present losses of mother-of-pearl and flaws in the wood.
Needs restoration.
Measurements: 38 x 73 x 49 cm.
Low rectangular table made of Huanghuali wood, decorated with figurative motifs. The tabletop depicts court scenes and floral elements of great delicacy worked in mother-of-pearl marquetry. In particular, the scene of the romance of the three kingdoms is depicted.
Under the Qing, inherited art forms flourished and innovations occurred on many levels and in many types. High levels of literacy, a successful publishing industry, thriving cities, and Confucian emphasis on cultivation nurtured a lively and creative set of cultural fields. uring this period, the European tendency to imitate Chinese artistic traditions, known as chinoiserie, also gained great popularity in Europe due to increased trade with China and the broader current of Orientalism.