Antique Indian Ox-Cart Coffee Table, Teak and Decorative Ironwork with Brass Accents, Rajasthan or Gujarat, 19th – Early 20th Century
Original price was: € 1.250,00.€ 1.100,00Current price is: € 1.100,00.
Antique low coffee table converted from an Indian ox-cart, retaining its original teak plank bed, iron cross-strapping, repoussé iron apron with brass studs, and carved wooden wheel-arch rockers. Rajasthan or Gujarat, 19th – early 20th century.
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A powerful and authentic example of Indian utilitarian craft elevated to the status of sculptural furniture, this low coffee table retains in its entirety the structure and ornament of a Rajasthani or Gujarati ox-cart (bail gaadi), converted at some point in the 20th century for use as a decorative interior object.
The tabletop consists of the original cart bed: a series of solid teak or sheesham hardwood planks joined edge to edge and secured across their width by three horizontal iron strapping bars, the whole framed within a rectangular iron border decorated with repeating repoussé quatrefoil and interlace panels, alternating with flat brass accent plates fixed at regular intervals. The four corner brackets — original cart hardware — project outward as stepped iron finials, completing the architectural quality of the frame.
The apron below the top face presents a bold decorative iron fascia with repoussé scrolling foliate and cloud motifs, accented with dome-headed brass studs, the metalwork darkened to a deep bronze patina consistent with long use and age.
The base consists of two original cart wheel supports — massive carved and laminated wooden arch-rockers, their curved profile derived directly from the wheel axle structure of the cart. The laminated construction, visible in cross-section, and the dense grain and patina of the wood speak to considerable age and authentic working use. Iron wire bracing between the rockers provides lateral stability in the table’s converted configuration.
Objects of this type — ox-cart furniture — entered the Western design vocabulary in the 1970s and have remained among the most sought categories of Indian decorative antiques, prized for the combination of raw material presence, artisanal metalwork, and the powerful formal contrast between the refined iron ornament and the unadorned character of the wood.
Origin / Maker / Period / Style / Material / Dimensions
- Origin: Rajasthan or Gujarat, India
- Maker: Anonymous village craftsmen / blacksmiths
- Period: 19th – early 20th century
- Style: Indian folk / utilitarian craft / global eclectic
- Material: Teak or sheesham hardwood, decorative ironwork, brass accents
- Dimensions (approx.):
- Length: ~110–130 cm
- Width: ~75–90 cm
- Height: ~35–45 cm
Condition Good antique condition consistent with age and working use. Original patina throughout. Iron and brass metalwork intact with expected oxidation. Wood surface shows honest wear, grain, and minor staining. Iron wire stabilizer bracing between wheel-rockers present. Structurally sound.
| Condition | Good |
|---|---|
| Material | Wood |
| Period | 1850-1900 |
| Style | Folk |
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