Reeded Fang Deng Stool

More portable than heavy chairs, stools have been a favored form of seating in Chinese culture for centuries and were used indoors and out at mealtimes and during social gatherings. This square stool (fang deng) dates to the mid-19th century and is crafted of northern elm (yumu) with mortise-and-tenon joinery and a timeworn finish of red-brown lacquer.

The seat frame and straight stretchers are designed with ribbed carvings that round the corners in imitation of early Chinese furniture made of bent bamboo. The straight corner legs are carved with matching vertical reeding to a quatrefoil shape. The stretchers are linked to the seat frame by vertical supports flanked by carved flourishes, reminiscent of crashing waves or billowing clouds. The original lacquer finish has faded gently at high-touch areas, revealing the smooth texture and light brown color of the wood underneath.