It must have been an expensive object to buy or commission, considering all the work that would be required to make it, so presumably it was used by someone wealthy and important. While it is functional – all the parts work – it is also highly decorative. Not only is the table covered in scenes of people and buildings, but the sewing implements inside are intricately carved from ivory. This is a status object, to be looked at and admired, as much as it is an object of use.

The images that cover the work table are created from lacquer and gilding. Lacquer is a protective coating applied to wood and metal, and the kind of lacquer used in this object comes from the sap of the lacquer tree. It is processed, and then mixed with different materials to produce a range of colours and textures. Gilding refers to a range of processes for applying gold leaf or gold paint, and in this work table it has been used to create the gold highlights that stand out so dramatically against the glossy black lacquer. When you bring into the mix the creamy white ivory, you get a pretty spectacular visual effect.

There’s an interesting connection between the scenes on this work table, and the act of using it. Sitting down to sew, you are using exquisite objects of the finest quality, and looking at images of Chinese buildings and landscape, filled with elegant people just like yourself. It’s as if the table is a kind of imaginative transportation device, which provides you with an image of exactly the kind of person you’d need to be to own, and use, such an object.