Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Corner Detail Showing Drawer On Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Angled VIew Of Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Open Doors View Of Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Carving Detail From Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Central Doors Detail From Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Top Down View Of Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Detail From Top Of Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Top Down VIew Detail From Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Drawer Detail From Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Corner Detail Showing Drawer On Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Angled VIew Of Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Open Doors View Of Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Carving Detail From Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Central Doors Detail From Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Top Down View Of Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Detail From Top Of Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Top Down VIew Detail From Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Drawer Detail From Nineteenth Century Burr Elm Chinese Kang Cabinet With Drawers Brass Hardware And Carved Apron
Now sold

Kang Cabinet From Tianjin - 19th Century

SKU M1031 · 19th Century, from Tianjin, China
Dimensions W106 × D52 × H45 cm
Read the full story

Looking for something similar?

This one has found its home. We regularly source pieces on our buying trips to India & China and on the UK Art Market. We will do our best to find you a similar piece.

Answered within two working daysSee similar low storage
Restored by the experts Every piece is checked, cleaned and prepared in our UK workshop before dispatch. See how

Description

This handsome 19th century Kang cabinet originates from Tianjin, a key furniture making centre in northern China whose workshops developed a distinctive local style. Tianjin pieces are known for their clean, rectilinear forms, refined brass hardware and well proportioned storage layouts, all of which are evident in this cabinet’s elegant long, low profile. Crafted from lightly figured burr elm (yingmu 樱木 / yumu), the surface displays the swirling, complex grain patterns that made burr timber one of the most desirable materials among Qing period craftsmen. While burr elm was often reserved for panel insets, here it is used extensively across the entire case, giving the cabinet a rich, unified presence.

The arrangement follows the classic Tianjin format of five drawers set above a pair of central doors, originally fitted with single hinges per door. The current shaped hinges are later replacements, though the large round brass lock plate remains original. The cabinet rests on a low frame with a finely carved apron, its continuous scrollwork typical of northern workshops. Designed to sit beside the heated kang platform in prosperous northern homes, these long cabinets provided both practical storage and a decorative focal point within the room. Today their proportions make them particularly well suited for use as media units or low sideboards in modern interiors.

What our customers say

Trustpilot
Trustpilot

Restored in our UK workshop

Every piece is checked, cleaned and made ready for its next chapter before it leaves us.

Our expert restorers inspect every item, making joints sound and carefully cleaning surfaces. 

We favour conservation over restoration and use traditional techniques and materials, sensitively preserving the original character and patina that give each antique its individuality.

Charlie in the Indigo Antiques workshop
CharlieRestorer · 20 years' experience
Keith in the Indigo Antiques workshop
KeithRestorer · Over 20 years' experience
Richard in the Indigo Antiques workshop
RichardCo-founder · Over 45 years' experience

Recently viewed

Curating beautiful collections of rare Asian Antiques since the mid 1970's.

Our story

Get in touch with us today to set up a trade account.

Trade Clients