(清代湘妃竹格式圓半桌) Set of Two Antique Bamboo Half-Moon Style Tables Made of Special Xiang-Fe Spotted Bamboo from the 19th century. The tabletops were made of Yu wood (northern Chinese elm) that originally were lacquered in black lacquer and have been refinished lately.

Xiang-Fe bamboo is a special species of bamboo with tear-like natural dark spots on the smooth bamboo surface which creates an almost iridescent effect like shimmering stars or jewels in the night sky. It is very prized by the Chinese antique furniture Connoisseurs for is natural wonder in beauty. This bamboo is said to be insect-repellant and might have been extinct. "Xiang" has the same pronunciation as the character for Hunnan Province (湘, Xiang) where this bamboo was grown or as the character for "Fragrance” or "Incense" (Xiang, 香). This bamboo also grew outside of Hunnan Province. "Xiang-Fe， 香妃, 湘妃 " refers to the name of the famous Chinese beauty (or beauties) in mythology whose tears stained the bamboo surface and formed the dark spots. Poets and writers had long written about the beautiful love story relating to this "tears" on the bamboo. Collectors can be picky about the choice of how this "tear spots" look like.

Although there are bamboo furniture pieces produced to look old, old bamboo furniture pieces in general are much rarer as few have survived. Old bamboo furniture pieces or objects made of Xiang-Fe Zhu, 湘妃竹 (also called Ban-Zhu, 斑竹, Spotted Bamboo. Zhu, 竹, bamboo.) are even more and extremely rare and are highly regarded by the collectors of fine Chinese antiques and scholar objects.

Dimensions: 39 1/4" in diameter x 33 1/4" H

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