Painted Opera Chest From Shanxi - 19th Century

This old painted Chinese trunk is often referred to as an Opera Chest. This style of Chinese chest is found exclusively in Shanxi Province in Northern China and dates from the late 19^th century.

Opera chests, including this one, are constructed from paulownia wood (tong mu / 桐木) Paulownia trees were often planted at the birth of a daughter and were considered symbols of prosperity, fertility & marital bliss. Upon reaching maturity the tree would be crafted into furniture and given as part of a bride's dowry symbolising hope for a prosperous & enduring marriage. 

The beautiful opera scenes that decorate the front of the chest were often allegorical. Chinese opera often depicted historical events and moral lessons and the paintings on these chests preserve traditional stories, history and artistic skills which otherwise might be lost to time. 

There is an undoubted fallacy surrounding opera chests which are often said to have been used by the traveling Shanxi Opera for carrying clothes and props. This is almost certainly untrue and an assumption by Western dealers inspired by the painted opera scenes that decorate the majority of this style of chest. 

Like all our pieces, it has been sympathetically restored showing signs of wear and the marks of age.