Folding kang table, Huanghuali wood Late Ming (1573–1644)

The lip-edged top of standard mitre, mortise and tenon construction with a flush, tongue-and-grooved floating panel supported by three dovetailed transverse stretchers underneath, two with exposed tenons. There are also exposed tenons on the short sides of the frame top. The deep curvilinear beaded-edged apron with carving of scrolling leaves are hidden tenoned to the top and two round stretchers are mortised and tenoned into these long aprons through large openings in the legs at the position where they meet. The legs, carved in the shape of foliage begin with tenons that fit into mortises on the underside of the frame top and end in peg feet. They are joined by two beaded-edged rectangular stretchers, one with exposed tenons, forming a |=| or ladder-shape structure on either ends of the table. These ladder-shape structure can be fitted to the table top or folded back inside the cavity formed by the aprons and the top, pivoting on the round stretchers connecting the aprons.

Denver, Colorado, 1997 – 1999, Denver Art Museum

Grace Wu Bruce, Chan Chair and Qin Bench: The Dr. S. Y. Yip Collection of Classic Chinese Furniture II, Hong Kong, 1998, pp. 122 – 123
Grace Wu Bruce, Ming Furniture Through My Eyes, The Forbidden City Publishing House, Beijing, 2015, p. 88

Similar examples:
An example of a folding kang table is illustrated in the National Heritage Board, Asian Civilisations Museum: The Chinese Collection,
Singapore, 1997, plate 116

Two other examples are in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhu Jiajin and Wang Shixiang, eds, Zhongguo Meishu Quanji, Gongyi Meishubian, (The Compendium of Chinese Art: Arts and Crafts, vol 11), Wenwu chubanshe, Beijing, 1987, p. 141
This exquisite table, with the deep curvilinear-shaped aprons and carved leaf spandrels as well as the flowing leaf-shaped legs and feet on pads, is reminiscent of early Song furniture forms seen in paintings and woodblock illustrations.
Conveniently folded away for storage or travelling, this kang table is another example of the growing body of folding furniture made in the Ming that have been recently rediscovered.