What are the metal fittings for?

Metal hardware on these tables tends to be structural rather than just decorative. You will often see brass or iron straps wrapping around the corners of the top frame. These mounts brace the vulnerable joints where the heavy timbers meet. They help hold the mortise and tenon connections tight as the wood moves over the years.

My grandmother left me one of these and it has a dark reddish finish on it but I am not sure what kind of wood is underneath it all?

Many antique altar tables have a thick lacquer or dark stain applied over the primary timber. This finish was traditional in northern Chinese provinces to seal the grain against harsh weather. Elm is the most common wood hiding under those dark layers. You can sometimes spot the broad grain pattern on the underside of the table where the finish has worn thin.

How heavy are they usually?

They take two people to lift safely. The solid timber frame and thick top panels carry serious weight.

We want to put our modern television on top of one in our living room but I am a bit worried that the heavy screen might crack the old wooden top over time?

A television rarely causes problems for these surfaces. The frame of an antique altar table is engineered to carry significant weight through the thick legs directly to the floor. The central floating panel is the only vulnerable part. If you place a very heavy object directly in the middle, the panel might bow. Ensure the weight rests over the thick outer frame sections.

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Antique Altar Tables

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Long, narrow surfaces usually raised on recessed legs, antique altar tables were originally built to hold ancestral shrines and ritual offerings in Chinese households.