Etsy - RiverSpaVintage Exceptional Carved 18Th Century Antique Northern Chinese Altar Temple Cabinet Commode Chest Of Drawers Butterfly Console Sideboard
Description
View all our Oriental pieces, tables & super vintage, antique & designer items here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RiverSpaVintage & subscribe to our mailing list at https://www.riverspavintage.com A truly stunning & extremely rare antique Chinese chest of drawers. Made in Northern China in the late-18th/early-19th Century, this is a superbly decorative, versatile & extremely rare eight-drawer altar temple cabinet. Whether it's used as a hallway console cabinet, a living room decorative piece, a dining buffet or a bedroom chest of drawers, this exceptional, wonderfully aged & very old commode will add real wow-factor, refined antique charm & bygone Oriental splendour to any interior. Likely made in the Shanxi province of Northern China due to its strong Mongolian & Qing Dynasty (when China was ruled by Mongolia) influences, this exceptional piece is made from reassuringly solid & heavy, wonderfully hued Elm & Cypress wood that has aged beautifully. It was crafted using traditional techniques (the mortice & tenon joinery can be appreciated throughout) & finished with outstanding & rare fine raised relief carvings to the eight drawers, each with its own significance & aged brass handles with petal mounts. The cabinet features substantial legs to support the hefty top with inlaid centre, panelled sides & back, decorative lower & side aprons & eight outstanding, hefty & ornately carved drawers. Lovely traces of the original red lacquer can be seen on the side panelling & in the nooks of the drawers & the tops of two of the lowest drawers. The front & top has gorgeous traces of dark mottled pigment, which break up the rich nutty-brown & golden hues of the wood to wonderful effect. Having eight drawers is a rarity for an antique Chinese chest & with them all carved in raised bas-relief makes this an even more special item; together with the overall construction, this is another sign that this exceptional piece hails from the Shanxi province. The rare eight drawers may be symbolic of the Eight Immortals of Taoist philosophy. The five upper drawers feature flower motifs set in foliage; the top two drawers have large beautifully ornate lotus flowers in profile (symbolising purity & perfection), with the middle row having two lotus flowers seen from overhead (also associated with enlightenment & peace) & a pomegranate (symbolising fertility). The bottom three drawers have relief carvings of animals running beneath Cypress trees; two of deer (symbolising double longevity & wealth) & one ox (symbolising hard work & persistence.) This is a really wonderful, stunning, rare, versatile & very old piece and, approaching its third century, is in remarkable condition. It will be a joy to own. CONDITION This is in very-good-to-excellent condition, especially for its age. Wonderfully constructed of heavy solid wood, this is structurally sound & built to last. It has aged wonderfully with very few noticeable marks or scratches that don't add to its aged charm. There
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