Chinese Square Altar or Reception Table with 3 Drawers and 1 Shelf

Apron panels carved up top and a floor of concentric squares below.

This square altar or reception table with 3 drawers and 1 shelf is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is elm wood. 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. Rectangular top over a band of three carved panels, with carved corner brackets joining slim legs. Between the lower rails lies a slatted frame arranged in nested squares like a maze. Hoof feet. Smoky gray-brown finish. It is 37 inches long, 37 deep and 34 high.

The shelf underneath is a labyrinth for lost teacups.