Chinese Side Table

Gnarled tree trunk section with a texture like frozen bark and glossy highlights.

This side table is from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. During the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976, a great deal of antique Chinese furniture was burned, confiscated or scattered, which the article says helped start the scarcity of such pieces. Upright tall natural trunk form, deeply furrowed and knobbed, in glossy brown and golden tones. The top is cut flat, and the surface is rough with hollows and ridges. No joinery or decoration. It is 8 inches long, 8 deep and 20.5 high.

Nature already did the carving, and it shows.