Chinese Wood Bench / Table

Heavy black slab bench with a smooth top and side panels for legs.

This bench / table is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the mid 19th century. It is lacquered elm wood. Collectors generally weigh aesthetics, age, condition, design, origin and provenance when judging antique furniture, though the article argues that scarcity ends up with the greatest influence on value. Visible is a long, low bench in dark ebonized finish, with a flat top and thick side panels that curve slightly under at the feet. The surface is smooth with pale rubbed highlights at the edges. It is 67 inches long, 19 deep and 20 high.

Hardly a fuss, but plenty of presence.