Pair of Narrow Benches with Tapered Legs

Designs that appear simple are often surprisingly complex in construction. Elegantly simple in design, this pair of benches from Zhejiang province celebrates the beauty of austerity and the fine art of Chinese furniture making. Made of northern Elmwood with mortise-and-tenon joinery—an age-old system mastered by Chinese craftsmen over many centuries, the benches feature a laddered stretcher construction similar to a workroom sawhorse. A narrow plank serves as the top, elegantly rounded at the edges and displaying a rich, time-worn patina.