A Chinese Low Coffer

This Chinese low kang table with 2 drawers once provided storage in a bedroom. The beautiful butterfly stretchers are original. Bronze hardware and oxblood finish are also original and retain their original patina. In the colder northern regions of China, winter life often centered around the kang, a raised brick platform warmed by heat from the kitchen stove. People sat or reclined on the kang for comfort, and low tables or cabinets like this were placed on the platform to serve as practical surfaces for meals, tea, or leisurely games.