Terra Cotta-Topped Table

This small table or stool features a new base mated to an old terra cotta tile top. The traditional floors of Chinese mansions were made from terra cotta tiles laid in a grid. Terra cotta was a lighter, easily-worked alternative to stone. Fine wind-blown loess provided the material and it is gray-black in color. The tiles could also be used outdoors, where their dark color helped them to dry quickly.