Round Dining Table

A round table is a generic term for any soban (small dining table) with a round tabletop regardless of the shape of its legs, but sometimes refers to tongban, whose entire body including the foot was carved out of a single piece of wood. A round table is categorized into a large or medium round table based on its size. According to the shape of the legs, there are a large round table supported by eight connected panels, a small tray table without legs or with short legs, a small round table with tiger legs, and a small round table with dog legs. A round table with a longer diameter had shorter legs and a lower tabletop edge than a small side table with a shorter diameter. This is because a large table was mostly used for ancestral memorial rites or banquets where food in vessels was served on ritual dishes with a tall foot. The tabletop was commonly made of ginkgo wood. A typical example of a round table is one lacquered in red, whose base consists of eight equal-sized panels connected side by side, with each panel carved into an openwork pattern of the Buddhist swastika or a Buddhist ceremonial scepter. Used mostly in the royal court, this type of table became smaller in size in the late Joseon Dynasty and its variations included a table served to those working outside or a table for a baby’s first birthday.