19th Century Carved Wood Rare Sino Brithsh Bureau Cabinet

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Antique Rare Sino (Chinese export) Brithsh Bureau Cabinet ca 1850 depicting a hawk on the front door symbolizes strength, power, … Read more Antique Rare Sino (Chinese export) Brithsh Bureau Cabinet ca 1850 depicting a hawk on the front door symbolizes strength, power, and material wealth, while the pine tree represents steadfastness, self-discipline, and longevity. Above the door, plumb blossoms are elegantly carved, representing perseverance and hope in trying times. On either side of the door are guardian lions, serving as protective symbols, each cradling a clam shell in their mouths, symbolizing the coming of new opportunities and prosperity. The drawers of the piece are adorned with sunflowers, signifying good fortune, vitality, intelligence, and joy. On the legs of the cabinet, four turtles are featured, signifying knowledge, perseverance, abundance, and a long life, with their wet shells suggesting they have already overcome many difficulties. Inside the cabinet is an old card bearing the name of Sir James Dalrymple Horn Elphinstone and a family shield - likely the original owner, a military officer with the Honourable East India Co. and retired as Commander in 1834. His younger brother Charles Elphinstone Dalrymple was a noted antiquarian, genealogist and expert on topography.
70"h by 39"w by 26"d. See less