Early 20th Century Chinese Yangjiang Lacquered Leather Trunk Chest With Calligraphy

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An exceptional early 20th century Chinese lacquered leather trunk chest, made in Yangjiang, Guangdong, and decorated with hand-painted calligraphy, literary … Read more An exceptional early 20th century Chinese lacquered leather trunk chest, made in Yangjiang, Guangdong, and decorated with hand-painted calligraphy, literary inscriptions and traditional metal hardware. The hide covering is remarkably well executed, fitted neatly around the wooden trunk with carefully mitered corners and a beautifully smoothed lacquered surface.

The decoration is unusually rich in Chinese literary references. One side is inscribed with Luo Binwang's celebrated Tang-dynasty "Ode to the Cicada in Prison", while the opposite side carries a poem by Du Fu. The painted lid is titled Wanxiang Tu (晚香圖), “Late Fragrance Picture,” and bears the studio name Banyue Xuan (半月軒), “Half-Moon Studio.”

The chest rests on a fitted hardwood stand, added later to elevate the trunk for use as furniture, making it particularly appealing as a low table, decorative storage chest or statement piece in a living room, library or study.

COLLECTOR'S NOTE
The surviving maker's label is an important part of this chest's story. It identifies Woo Tai Shing Leather Wear Co. (和泰盛皮箱) and states that the firm's old-established shop and factory were located on Taifu Road in Yangjiang, a historic center for China's distinctive lacquered leather trunk industry. The label also retains the firm's Eagle & Globe trademark, an H.K. designation, and the number 0235, documenting its connection with the Hong Kong trade. Together with the remarkably neat leatherwork, lacquered finish, classical poetry and calligraphy, the label elevates this beyond the more familiar decorative Chinese export chest. It is a particularly interesting survivor of the specialized Yangjiang trunk-making tradition and of the trade that carried these pieces from southern China through Hong Kong to an international clientele.

NOTE: The inscription on the lid incorporates a Daoguang jiachen date corresponding to 1844, apparently as part of the historicizing literary decoration rather than the date the chest itself was made.

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