Three Drawer Incense Table

Stylized censers, a vessel for burning incense, decorate each of the three drawers of this 19th-century elmwood altar table, calling to the table’s function in attention domestic ancestor ceremonies. Expertly carved from one panel of wood, the image of the censer is carved in relief, revealing the artist’s concern for dimensional modeling. Treated with a deep oxblood red lacquer finish, the table bears the mark of expert mortise-and-tenon construction in the square joints.