Hall table with Louis Cubes parquetry pattern and Rice Dumpling Joinery

A hall table in Victorian Blackwood, Tasmanian Myrtle, Queensland Walnut and NSW Silky Oak, joined at every corner with a rice dumpling joint (粽角榫, zòngjiǎo sǔn) — a three-way mitred corner joint from the Chinese furniture tradition. Three components meet at each corner with mitred faces. Inside, tenons lock in three axes without glue. On the surface, three clean diagonal lines and nothing else.

The top carries a Louis Cubes parquetry pattern in four Australian timbers - Ming Dynasty meets French Revolution. Each rhombus is cut and oriented so that the three faces of the cube catch light differently, creating the illusion of three-dimensional form from a flat surface. This is the version of the frame I had the most fun making.

This frame is a design I return to. I’ve built four or five versions with different tops. Available as a commission in any timber, from $1,800.