Home furnishings from Shanxi Province in North Central China fascinate me. Not only is Shanxi one of the oldest area of Chinese civilization, it is also a place with wealthy merchants. During the 19th century, Shanxi merchants' pragmatism, ingenuity, and global vision transformed the system of moving money into letters of credit, thus pioneering pioneering banking and financial institutions. Instead of carrying money in the form of silver ingots, they carried paper, thus saving themselves from thieves and bandits. The merchants became rich, and built large homes with fine furnishings. One of the outstanding feature of Shanxi furniture is the painted lacquer pieces. This small painted cabinet is a fine example.

The rectangular cabinet is built like a miniature cabinet that we call a sideboard. The fronts and sides are painted with colorful images. While the side paintings have faded, the figural paintings on the front are still vivid. In the background of mountains and rivers, figures were greeting one another on the river banks with vegetations. and architectural elements. The bright yellow lacquer paintings are still discernible. Due to weather conditions, the lacquer finish on the back and sides are peeling, but the front is still in good condition.

The small cabinet is often called a kang cabinet because it was used on the kang. The kang is a hollow brick platform built against a wall on the inside rooms. Firewood and other fuels are fed into the kang through a small opening outside. In this way, the kang platforms are kept warm. It is like a bed, and so the furniture on the bed have to be small.


Condition:
Alterations: Original Condition Unaltered
Imperfections: Some Imperfections
Condition Notes: This kang cabinet is close to 200 years old. The black lacquer is peeling and has losses in spots. The surface is fragile and needs careful handling. I did not list it under "Needs Restoration" because peeling lacquer is hard to manage. These imperfections are reflected in the Price.

Origin:
China

Materials & Techniques:
Lacquer, Wood

Details:
Country of Origin: China
What type of item is it? Vintage / Antique / Used

Original Condition Unaltered; Some Imperfections; This kang cabinet is close to 200 years old. The black lacquer is peeling and has losses in spots. The surface is fragile and needs careful handling. I did not list it under "Needs Restoration" because peeling lacquer is hard to manage. These imperfections are reflected in the Price.