Reading Desk

This is a book stand whose backing plate is tilted to allow the reader to sit down and read a book comfortably. A book stand consists of a panel that supports the book, a stand propping up the panel from underneath, and the joint connecting the two. There is a sill on the lower part of the panel to prevent the book from sliding down, and the desk is tilted to form a 45-degree angle from the ground. This is designed to render the reader’s line of sight to be nearly perpendicular to the book for comfortable reading. There are three types of book stand: one with a stool that can stand on the ground; one that can be folded like a folding fan when not in use; and one without a stool that is placed on a desk. It generally avoided extravagant and glamorous decorations, and were decorated using phrases or patterns related to academic learning instead. The book stand shown here is a folding type that can be folded like a folding fan when not in use. It is used by unfolding and erecting the linear bars, inserting one end of the beams into the furrows on the reversed L-shaped support on the bottom, and tilting backward the supporting bar in the middle to prop up the desk from the ground. When not in use, it can be folded in three layers. Letters are engraved on the surface of the bar that becomes exposed when being folded, and the overall structure is reinforced by joint bars made of bronze. A thin metal bar is inserted into the side of the book stand to prevent the folded stand from being easily spread out.