A GAMBLING TABLE AND FOUR STOOLS FROM AN AMERICAN BAR - SHANGHAI c1920
A GAMBLING TABLE AND FOUR STOOLS FROM AN AMERICAN BAR - SHANGHAI c1920
Shanghai, c1920
Made of Nanmu hardwood, similar to walnut - this beautiful set is a fine example of speakeasy furniture from the glory days of early 20th century Shanghai. The table with cross stretcher, tambour style edge and Deco geometric detailing to the stool legs. Each stool shaped as a distinctive quandrant that fits beautifully into the overall form. Art Deco came to Shanghai in the 1920’s via America and Europe, being developed in architecture and graphic design. It was also largely used in furniture design, in a way that is quite specific to Shanghai. The ancestral art of Chinese wood carving was used to create modern pieces following art deco design. Shanghai Art Deco furniture were crafted like their French counterparts, but exceptional carving replaced wood inserts in furniture decoration, creating highly modern and decorative pieces - the result was a unique combination of craft and industry. A symbol of modernity, Art Deco furniture where widely adopted by the middle and upper class of Shanghai that was fast developing in the 1920’s and early 1930’s. They followed the Art Deco movement in style but were often adapted to local traditions.
Dimensions: H 61cm x D 75cm