Red Lacquer Wedding Cabinet From Shanxi - Early 19thC

This exceptionally good quality antique Chinese red lacquer wedding cabinet is from Shanxi province, dating to the early 19th century - Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911). The tone is the perfect 'Peking red'. The red lacquer work on this cabinet is original and features gilt scenes of a rural Chinese town. These scenes are framed by a repeating butterfly motif. It's less common to find butterflies on older cabinets. Lacquer cabinets were often given as wedding gifts, often in pairs. Better quality cabinets like this one are made from elm. 

Our skilled workshop team sensitively restored this piece consolidating the lacquer to halt the aging process. It is of considerable age which is clear from the sides and interiors of the doors. Notably, the shelves and lower back panel have been replaced. The brass hardware is in keeping with the original style but has has been replaced. This is often the case as much of the brass was melted down or removed in acts of vandalism to protect it from confiscation during the Chinese cultural revolution. 

Lacquer has a long history in Chinese furniture and has been used for over 2000 years. It is a resin made from the sap of the Rhus verniciflua tree, burgundy lacquer is most common, then red, and black is much less common. Colours, such as green, blue, yellow, and pink are only found in modern reproductions.
In this case, this cabinet has been decorated with gold leaf and a coloured lacquer base. The sides were nearly always plain.

From China

Dimensions:

115 x 52.5 x 187 (wxdxh cms)

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