Painted Opera Chest From Shanxi - 19th Century Wall Art narrow form with simple stretcher

narrow form with simple stretcher supports

Its time-worn lacquer finish gives it an understated

Often described in the West as a “wedding cabinet”

" The rim is slighly flared with a straight neck that broadens at the ends and a bottom heavy body

This hand carved teak chariot carving of Lord Shiva with a Vahana Nandi bull dates from the 18th century

Painted Opera Chest From Shanxi - 19th Century Wall Art narrow form with simple stretcherThis old painted Chinese trunk is known as an Opera Chest. It would be more accurate to call it a dowry chest due to the lack of any operatic scene on this chest. This style of Chinese chest is found exclusively in Shanxi Province in Northern China and dates from the late 19th century. Chests of this style are constructed from paulownia wood (tong mu ) Paulownia trees were often planted at the birth of a daughter and were considered symbols of