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Circa 1830 Chinese Shanxi Elm Altar Coffer with Carved Drawers & Distressed Red Lacquer

£1,350.00
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SKU: ITEM-3112
Availability : In Stock In Stock Out of stock
Categories: Cabinets, Furniture, New Stock, Stock
Description
This stunning antique Chinese coffer is crafted from solid elm wood, dating back to circa 1830. Rooted in the traditions of Shanxi Province, it hails from an era when wealthy merchants, bankers, and large extended families built sprawling courtyard compounds, requiring robust, beautifully crafted furniture to assert their social status. Primarily used as an altar table—where ancestor worship formed the core of daily spiritual life—this chest would have stood proudly in a home's central hall, often beneath hanging ancestral portraits. Beyond its spiritual role, the coffer served as a highly functional, multi-generational household storage unit, utilizing locked lower compartments to secure deeds, silver bullion, coins, and important family documents.
Structurally, it is anchored by a thick, rectangular elm top featuring flush, mitred framing alongside a top panel that extends past the main body to create subtle, overhanging eaves. The thick, square-section legs taper slightly inward toward the top, a design that provides the architectural stability typical of northern Chinese carpentry. The coffer features an asymmetrical configuration of five drawer compartments, each adorned with hand-carved traditional motifs including circular floral bosses and intricate, scrolling foliated tendrils. These drawers retain their functional, low-profile iron hardware, including flush-mounted rectangular backplates, ring pulls, and traditional loop-and-pin locking mechanisms. The surface exhibits a highly desirable, heavily distressed finish, with traces of historical red ochre lacquer peeking through layers of dark, weathered patina. This breath-taking antique would complement any modern home, making it the perfect foyer console or a beautifully repurposed dining room sideboard and dry bar. 

The dimensions are as follows: H: 87cm - W: 54.5cm - L: 111cm 

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