Small painting table, Huanghuali wood Late Ming (1573 – 1644)

The top of standard mitre, mortise, and tenon construction, with a huamu two-board, tongue-and-grooved, floating panel supported by four dovetailed transverse stretchers and an additional cross stretcher underneath, all with exposed tenons. The edge of the frame is gently moulded and ends in a beaded edge. The splayed round legs, cut to house the shaped spandrelled apron, are double tenoned into the top. Between the legs are two oval section stretchers. There are extensive traces of clay and lacquer undercoating.

Hong Kong, 1991, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, “The Dr. S. Y. Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture”

Grace Wu Bruce, Dreams of Chu Tan Chamber and the Romance with Huanghuali Wood: The Dr. S. Y. Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture, Hong Kong, 1991, pp. 66 – 67

Similar example:
A very similar painting table in the Lu Ming Shi collection, also with a huamu top, but not as deep, is illustrated in Grace Wu Bruce, Living with Ming – the Lu Ming Shi Collection, Hong Kong, 2000, pp. 126 – 127

Tables with legs not at the corners but recessed are called an tables. This classic pingtouan design has its origin in ancient Chinese architecture in wood. Completely plain, this simple form with pure lines is what first captured the attention of twentieth century furniture historians. The design is now considered quintessential Ming.
Table with this design were used for various functions as seen in Ming publications in woodblock illustrations. The present example, being unusually deep, over 81cm deep, is especially suitable for use as a desk, the modern equivalent of a Ming dynasty painting table. Painting tables are very rare in surviving examples of classic Chinese furnitures.