Small Dining Table

Haejuban, a small dining table produced in Haeju, Hwanghae Province, is supported by two engraved panel stands, as opposed to four legs. Haejuban features a rectangular tabletop with four corners creating smooth angular curves. The edges of the tabletop were either raised in two tiers or made low and simple. The tabletop was supported by two engraved panel stands, which were fitted into the grooves on the reverse side of the tabletop using mortise and tenon joints. The front and back sides under the tabletop were supported by wooden panels with a triangular cutout hole for resilience and stability. The front and back supporting panels were usually decorated with an openwork pattern of clouds, lightening, and the Buddhist swastika. Decorations also included designs of a bat, a lotus flower, and arabesque. A thick wooden board was favored as the side panel and decorated with openwork designs, which made haejuban elaborate but weaker than other small dining tables in terms of its structure. Elaborate and complex decorations on side panels would often accompany simple decorations for the front and back supporting panels. Ginkgo wood was favored as the material used for the tabletop, and lime wood and pinewood were also used. Side panels were made of wild-walnut wood. Since some wild-walnut wood was not suited for openwork, a hole was made at the center of the panel with fine carvings made along its edge. In this case, wooden rods were secured to the bottom of the panel using parquet joints to ensure a stable structure. A panel with many openwork designs was joined to the tabletop using mortise and tenon joints, and sometimes fixed to the front and back supporting panels with bamboo nails. Haejuban was commonly varnished with raw lacquer for a glossy effect with bright and light coloring.