Chinese Wood Altar Table

It holds almost nothing, on purpose.

This altar table comes from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 19th century, made of elmwood. In Chinese homes, long narrow tables like this stood in the main hall, holding incense burners, ancestor tablets and offerings. A plain, narrow top runs nearly six feet over an undecorated apron. Four slim, straight legs finish in small hoof feet. The dark brown wood has a quiet sheen, with paler color on the top. Sixty-eight inches long, just under 12 deep and 30 high.

Narrow tables teach you to own fewer things.