Low Chinese Gansu Sideboard or Cabinet in Pine

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Low two-door sideboard in pine wood, originating from the Chinese province of Gansu and dating from around 1930. A piece … Read more Low two-door sideboard in pine wood, originating from the Chinese province of Gansu and dating from around 1930. A piece of balanced proportions and sober craftsmanship, halfway between a traditional low cabinet and a living-room sideboard, representative of the provincial furniture of northwestern China.ideboards like this one stood in the main room of the house to store crockery, textiles or everyday utensils, and held a central place in domestic life.It is built in local pine, with two front doors framed by a mortise-and-panel structure. The doors open on wooden dowel hinges and retain their original iron-ring pulls on simple plaques. The top, made of a single board, rests on a narrow cornice. The entire carpentry is assembled with traditional mortise and tenon, without nails or industrial adhesives.The patina combines the natural pine tone with an original light wash, today much softened by use, that lets the grain and the irregularities of the wood show through. The edges show gentle wear, the hardware retains stable oxidation and the doors show small dents and marks that attest to decades of daily opening. A lived piece, free of invasive restoration.Because of its restrained scale and its quiet surface, it integrates naturally into wabi-sabi, japandi, contemporary rustic or minimalist interiors, where it works as a TV unit, a dining-room sideboard, an entrance cabinet or a bedroom storage piece. Its pale tones dialogue particularly well with whitewashed walls, natural textiles and handmade ceramics.

Dimensions: Width: 110 cm Depth: 40 cm Height: 85 cmStyle: Chinese provincial furniture, late Qing – Republican periodMaterials and techniques: Pine wood; mortise-and-panel structure; traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery; original wrought-iron hardwarePlace of origin: Gansu, ChinaPeriod: Late Qing Dynasty – Republican periodDate of manufacture: Circa 1930Condition: Good. Retains original patina and hardware. Wear consistent with age and use, no invasive restoration See less