Black Lacquer Sideboard From Shanxi - 18th Century

This excellent example of a Qing dynasty (1644-1912) black lacquer Chinese sideboard features beautiful paintings of scholarly objects and floral arrangements. The lacquer and painting are original dating from the 18th century, early Qing dynasty - The beautiful thick brass hardware is original to the piece. 

The scholarly symbols featured on the doors of this cabinet denoted the scholarly status of the owner. 

Shanxi sideboards were usually made from locally sourced wood, in this case, northern elm wood (yumu 榆木 ). This style of sideboard was a staple in Shanxi province and would have been used as altar cabinets, for burning incense and making offerings to the ancestors. An ancestor painting would often be hung above.