Chinese Wood School Desk

Slender stand with a lidded top and a little side seat on skids.

This school desk is from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is 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. Slender legs support a small box-like top with a thick slab lid. A curved flat seat sticks out from one side, braced by splayed side rails. The base is formed by long runners with cross bars. Dark brown with visible grain. It is 36 inches long, 21.5 deep and 33 high.

An odd conversation between a desk and a stool.