Family Gathering Lacquer Tea Table (China)

This piece disappointed me in its proportions (heavy, rustic-looking and graceless), the use of the word "lacquer" which to me implies a sleek and traditional Asian surface treatment, and the workmanship. The design on top is poorly printed on dull paper which is then glued over a curved wooden top. However, the paper buckled upward on both sides instead of conforming to the concave curves, looking amateurish and cheap. The legs are neither smooth nor well finished. It's also quite high for the relatively small size of the top which cannot easily support most items due to the curves For practical purposes, it might better have been called a stool than a table; a tea tray must straddle the two sides to validate its title. Overall this is a miss, not a hit, and seems to have been turned out in great haste to satisfy the Western market without artistry, craftsmanship or even simple product inspection.