QING DYNASTY, 17TH- 18TH CENTURY

Painting tables are characterized by their generous length and depth, the absence of drawers, as well as minimal decorations beneath the tabletops, creating ample space for free movement for painting, writing, reading or appreciating arts. Tables of this type were considered the most important piece of furniture in the scholar’s studio. Wang Shixiang mentioned that the popular arrangement for table was with one end against a window in order to have abundant natural light, see Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, Beijing, 2007, p. 127, and also often dedicated on Ming dynasty woodblock prints, see for example, a woodblock print illustration for Heavenly Horses Matchmaker (fig. 1).


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