A Late Ming Dynasty Huanghuali Wood Waisted Square Table With Humpbacked Stretchers And Carved Dragon Design.

This square table is decorated with horned archaic dragons confronting each other along the cusped aprons. This style of dragon carving suggests a dating from the late Ming period. The legs are constructed from a deeper and darker colored huanghuali. The roundness of the humpbacked stretchers, the smooth edges of the carving, and the style of horse-hoof feet give this table a refined appearance.
A waisted square table of this style and design is illustrated in Robert Ellsworth's Chinese Furniture, Plate 75. This table has no dragon carving, but the side aprons have similarly cusped curves.