Antique Japanese low table made of keyaki wood – Japan, circa 1900

Antique Japanese low table made of keyaki wood, with a rectangular top framed and four Ming-inspired turned legs. Originating from Japan, from the Meiji period (1868–1912), when keyaki — Japanese zelkova — was crafted in Kyoto and Nagoya to produce domestic furniture with serene proportions. The Japanese low table, known as zataku, was for centuries the centre of life on tatami: the family gathered around it to eat, read, or work while sitting close to the floor. Larger examples, like this one, were reserved for bourgeois homes during the Meiji period, when the taste for Chinese Ming forms — reintroduced by furniture manuals — spread into the repertoire of Japanese carpenters. The top is made from a single well-figured board of keyaki, set into a moulded frame that forms the structure. The lower structure is assembled with mortise and tenon joints, without hardware, and rests on four bracket feet finished with a characteristic Ming scroll. The straight and clean peripheral apron reinforces the crossbeam without any relief. Details. Dimensions: Length 116 cm – Depth 88 cm – Height 27 cm. Style: Japanese Ming-inspired, Meiji period. Materials and techniques: Solid keyaki (Japanese zelkova); traditional mortise and tenon assembly; oil and wax finish. Place of origin: Japan. Period: Meiji period (1868–1912) Date of manufacture: Circa 1900. Condition / Observations: Good. Wear consistent with age and use.