FINE ANTIQUE CHINESE QING DYNASTY CAMPHOR WOOD CARVINGS COMPOUND CABINET

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FINE ANTIQUE CHINESE QING DYNASTY CAMPHOR WOOD CARVINGS COMPOUND CABINET :
$59500.00

GJPaw sales is pleased to offer for sale a stunning antiqueChinese Compound Cabinet. It is beautifully crafted from camphor wood (‘Xiangzhang’or ‘Changmu’), and originates from Beijing, which because of the Imperial Courtwas renowned for its cross-pollination of furniture styles, as well as thestandardization of many designs from across China. Camphor wood has been usedfor centuries in China for making cabinets and chests for storing clothes,bedding and fabrics, because the strong aroma acts as a natural repellent toinsects. The reddish-brown heartwood contrasts against the much paler sapwood,giving a very attractive grain. The cabinet has four doors and featuresintricately carved auspicious symbols, including clouds and the bat. Cloudsrepresent the heavens and also \"good luck\" because the Chinese wordfor cloud (yun 云)is pronounced the same as (yun 运) meaning luck or fortune. The bat (fu 蝠) can be a visual pun for \"goodfortune\" or happiness (fu 福) because both characters are pronounced fu. Suchauspicious symbolism indicates that this rare and highly collectible cabinetwould have been part of a wedding dowry from an important and wealthy family:symbolism and function combining with beauty and practicality in a way that wasthe true hallmark of Chinese antique furniture.

The cabinet is in very good used condition, with wearconsistent to a dating from the 19th century. Importantly, it is an intact,original piece. The measurements are 61.75 inches in length by 21.5 inches deepby 110 inches in height (156.8 cm by 54.6 cm by 279.4 cm). It has a fineprovenance coming from an important U.S. mid-west collection of antique Chinesefurniture. This is a rare and beautiful piece, excellent for today’s décor, anda unique opportunity for a collector of fine antique furniture to adorn eitheran office or home, while savoring the culture, traditions and lifestyle ofChinese civilization.

The Chinese character for cabinet (柜) consists of the wood radical and athree-sided frame enclosing the character preciousness. Literally, cabinets ofChina had been made of wood and used for the containment of preciouspossessions. Their earliest form can be traced as far back as 433.B.C. Chinesecabinets were functional objects as well as works of art and came in variousshapes, sizes, forms, and designs to hold a variety of objects, often in pairssymbolizing double happiness. There are two main styles of largeChinese cabinets, their names derived from their contours: the square-cornercabinet and the round-corner cabinet (also known as the tapered orsloping-style, wood-hinged cabinet). This cabinet is a square-cornered compound cabinet, which has vertical sides with thedoors mounted on metal hinges. When a smallish storage chest is stacked on topof a regular-sized cabinet - or when two units of equal or different sizes arestacked on top of one another - the combination is collectively referred to asa compound cabinet. There was a clear division of use between the two units.The primary function of compound cabinets, were for keeping garments in thebed chambers, storing silk clothes in the front courts or keeping money andvaluable goods in private rooms. This compound cabinet is showcase example ofChinese furniture featuring the most important artistic, decorative andfunctional aspects of Chinese culture and would be a centerpiece in anycollection of Chinese antiques and furniture. It is available either as asingle cabinet or more importantly as a pair (see separate listing), which asindicated is a symbol of double-happiness.

Additionalimages are available by request, and can usually be provided within 1 businessday.

Standard international freight shipping is NOT included forthis item. Please inquire for freightquote, which will include custom crating and packaging, and Internationalfreight to your closest port, business or residential address.Additionalshipping options, such as freight forwarding or white glove service can beadded upon request.

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