Antique Hardwood Low Table on Solid Brass Base
This low table was crafted from a single slab of antique Chicken-Wing wood (鸡翅木 Jīchì mù – read more on this wood below). This cherished wood variety was prized and collected since 14th century China for its grain which mimics the natural world of mountain ranges, lotus ponds, or stormy clouds. Needless to say this wood was greatly revered by Taoist scholars and Mandarins.
Our minimalist table respects this tradition. We opted for a very simple base to not deflect from the beauty of the wood, the table seems to float, the top is the star.
- Top Chicken-Wing Wood (鸡翅木, Jīchì mù)
- Finish Bleached + Natural Oiled
- Base PT81 Sand Cast Brass
- Finish Golden Sand
- Size W 166 x D 41 x H 30 cm
- W 65.35 x D 16.14 x H 11.81 in
- Lead-time 12 weeks maximum
Antique Hardwood
P. Tendercool founders are former antique dealers who collected about 200 slabs of antique Chicken-Wing Wood (鸡翅木, Jīchì mù) over a period of 15 years. This wood was venerated during the ‘Ming’ dynasty and coveted by literati and scholars for its beautiful grain, “…like feathers of a bird…”
Our slabs were collected in Northern Vietnam, close to the Chinese border. Back in the 19th century, villagers would place two identical ‘Slices’ of the same tree next to each other, directly on the floor, to serve as a dry platform to sit, eat, and sleep on. This explains why our slabs come in pairs, typically about a person’s size, in various thicknesses. Inspection of the underside shows they were clearly cut by hand (pre-machine age!), without traces of legs nor decoration. Unlike the Chinese refined ‘Kang’ tables for the well-to-do, these 19th century slabs were purely functional furniture.
The simple fact these wooden slabs still exist is proof of their stone-hard quality: many decades of humid-hot, termite-infested surroundings have had no noticeable effect other than them remaining solid witnesses of a bygone era. We keep them in their original unfinished state awaiting clients’ preferences. We currently own two hundred slabs, an extraordinary collection for you to select from.
Table Bases
Our table-bases are sand cast by hand, one by one, by Octogenarian Armando Beato and his team. Armando started working with his uncle when he was fourteen and even worked for artists like Salvador Dalí. Care for a better reference?
Most of our bases are available in Bronze, Brass or Aluminum in a number of finishes. Download our catalogue to learn more.