Chinese Pair of Triangular Tables

Dark table on slim legs, its stretcher cutting the frame diagonally.

This pair of triangular tables is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the mid 19th century. It is burl & elm wood. Many Chinese antiques are now returning to China through auction houses and foreign dealers, as Chinese buyers actively purchase older pieces back, which the article describes as reclaiming their heritage. Square top with slightly overhanging ends sits over a modest apron. Four narrow legs rise from a boxy lower frame, and one diagonal brace crosses the base. The color is a deep aubergine brown with a muted gloss. It is 37 inches long, 37 deep and 33.5 high.

Severe, sharp-edged, and a little dramatic about its legs.