Antique Japanese Chabudai Folding Table, 1927 - 1945 (Early Showa) | SKU: 26M-494

Japanese Chabudai Low Table | Antique Floor Dining Table & Living Room Coffee Table, 1927-1945 (Early Showa), SKU 26M-494

A generously proportioned round chabudai with folding legs -- handcrafted Japanese antique furniture from the Early Showa period.

A chabudai is a traditional Japanese low table designed for use on tatami floors, where family members would sit on zabuton cushions or zaisu legless chairs to share meals and conversation. This striking example features a large, circular tabletop in a richly toned hardwood -- the warm chestnut-brown surface displaying a quietly figured straight grain that deepens to near-ebony at the edges and underside. The round form, smooth bevelled rim, and substantial scale suggest this was a centrepiece of a well-appointed Japanese dining room, capable of gathering the whole family. The undercarriage is finished in a dark lacquer-like coating and fitted with elegantly splayed legs joined by notched mortise-and-tenon crossbars -- a construction method typical of quality handcrafted Japanese furniture from the prewar era. The underside reveals a sturdy folding leg mechanism: two hinged leg frames that lock flat for compact storage and transport, a practical feature that made the chabudai a beloved fixture of flexible Japanese interior life.

Today this antique chabudai translates effortlessly into a modern home. Its low profile and circular silhouette make it an ideal living room coffee table for floor-seating arrangements, bringing an authentic wabi-sabi aesthetic to Japandi-style interiors. Spread cushions around it for a relaxed bohemian dining corner, use it as a meditation or tea table in a bedroom or studio, or style it as a statement centrepiece in an entryway. Its generous surface and folding legs also make it a practical yet beautiful gift for collectors of Japanese antique furniture or anyone who appreciates the quiet elegance of vintage Japanese craft.

• Origin: Japan
• Era: 1927-1945 (Early Showa)
• Material: Hardwood top with dark-lacquered hardwood folding leg base; species consistent with Japanese domestic hardwood, possibly kuri (chestnut) or keyaki (zelkova)
• Use: Traditional Japanese low dining and family table used on tatami floors
• Modern Use: Floor-seating living room coffee table; low dining or tea table for Japandi or wabi-sabi interiors; meditation or accent table in a bedroom or studio
• Features: Large circular tabletop with bevelled edge; warm straight-grained hardwood surface with natural age patina; elegantly splayed legs with notched mortise-and-tenon crossbar joinery; fully folding leg mechanism for flat storage; two-tone finish -- warm honey-brown top, near-ebony base and underside
• Dimensions: 32 1/4"W x 10"H
• Condition: Good antique condition -- surface shows honest age wear including minor scratches and patina consistent with period use; structure solid and folding mechanism intact

A rare large-format piece of Japanese antique furniture that brings the warmth, craftsmanship, and quiet beauty of prewar Japan into any modern living space.

We use professional studio lighting to highlight the natural character of the wood. As a result, the tone may appear slightly warmer than under natural daylight.

All vintage and antique items are sold as-is. Each piece may exhibit signs of age, including scratches, wear, or minor imperfections. These are not considered defects but natural evidence of the item’s authenticity and age.