FINE ANTIQUE CHINESE QING DYNASTY HEBEI YING WOOD CARVINGS COMPOUND CABINET

Description

GJPaw
Auctions is pleased to offer for sale a stunning antique Chinese Compound Cabinet. It is beautifully crafted from ying and elm wood, and originates from the Hebei Province, which was renowned for cabinets with ornate carved decoration. The cabinet has four doors and features intricately carved symbols, including censer,
musical jade stone gong,
rhinoceros libation horn cup, vase and bell, together with low-relief decorative and ornate foliate motifs. The musical jade stone gong and rhinoceros horn are symbols of good luck and prosperity from
the Chinese "Eight Treasures" (
babao
), also known as the "Eight Precious Things" or "Eight Auspicious Treasures". Such auspicious symbolism indicates that this rare and highly collectible cabinet would 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 was the true hallmark of Chinese antique furniture.
The cabinet is in very good used condition, with wear consistent to a dating from the 19th Century. Importantly, it is an intact, original piece. The measurements are 45 inches in length by 18 inches deep by 76.5
inches in height
(114 cm by 45.7 cm by 194 cm). It has a fine provenance coming from an important U.S. mid-west collection. This is a rare and beautiful piece, excellent for today’s décor, and a unique opportunity for a collector of fine antique furniture to adorn either an office or home, while savoring the culture, traditions and lifestyle of Chinese civilization.
The Chinese character for cabinet (
柜
)
consists of the wood radical and a three-sided frame enclosing the character preciousness. Literally, cabinets of China had been made of wood and used for the containment of precious possessions. Their earliest form can be traced as far back as 433.B.C. Chinese cabinets were functional objects as well as works of art and came in various shapes, sizes, forms, and designs to hold a variety of objects, often in pairs symbolizing double happiness.
There are two main styles of large Chinese cabinets, their names derived from their contours: the square-corner cabinet and the round-corner cabinet (also known as the tapered or sloping-style, wood-hinged cabinet).
The superb example for sale is a square-cornered compound cabinet, which has vertical sides with the doors mounted on wooden pegs, giving easy access rather than doors with metal hinges. When a smallish storage chest is stacked on top of a regular-sized cabinet - or when two units of equal or different sizes are stacked on top of one another - the combination is collectively referred to as a compound cabinet. There was a clear division of use between the two units. The primary function o
f c
ompound cabinets, were for keeping garments in the bed chambers, storing silk clothes in the front courts or keeping money and valuable goods in private rooms. This compound cabinet
is showcase example of Chinese furniture featuring the most important artistic, decorative and functional aspects of Chinese culture and would be a centerpiece in any collection of Chinese antiques and furniture.
Additional images are available by request, and can usually be provided within 1 business day.
Standard international freight shipping is NOT included for this item.
Please inquire for freight quote, which will include custom crating and packaging, and International freight to your closest port, business or residential address. Additional shipping options, such as freight forwarding or white glove service can be added upon request.
GJPaw
Auctions has been in the Art business for over 25 years and is now expanding its operation to eBay.  Our goal is to bring the same experience and excitement of collecting that we have been delivering in-person to collectors across the Globe at
Primitive
in Chicago.  Every object we sell online has been carefully hand-selected with special attention to detail, quality, and significance. We ship worldwide. Add
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