Low Antique Polychrome Carved Pine Sideboard, Xinjiang, China, 1900

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This antique carved polychrome low sideboard in pine is a Uyghur cabinet from Xinjiang with four carved doors and a … Read more This antique carved polychrome low sideboard in pine is a Uyghur cabinet from Xinjiang with four carved doors and a rosette frieze. It originates from Xinjiang, in north-western China, from the Qing dynasty, where pine was carved and then coloured with the brush.A long, low cabinet of this kind closed the perimeter of the main room in the Uyghur house and served for storage and seating alike. The decoration concentrates on the visible face; the sides and back are left untreated, a sign that the piece was made to stand against the wall.The case is solid pine with mortise-and-tenon joinery. Four panel doors open onto a compartmented interior with a shelf. The stiles continue into stirrup feet and the edge of the top carries a carved chevron moulding.The carved repertoire alternates interlaced-circle lattices, sprays of lanceolate petals and vertical zigzags on the intermediate stiles. A daisy frieze runs along the upper rail and the plinth carries a continuous band of circular rosettes. Colour was applied in pink, green, yellow, orange and violet blue, with the mouldings outlined in deep violet.The polychromy is much faded and in places only the trace of pigment remains in the ground of the relief. The bare top shows old losses along the edge and open joints. The surface reads authentic, with no repaint.Its 234 cm length and 69 cm height make it a living-room piece, a low dining-room sideboard or a gallery cabinet. In a neutral interior it carries the whole chromatic weight of the room.

Dimensions: Length 234 cm – Width 44 cm – Height 69 cm. Style: Uyghur of Xinjiang. Materials and techniques: Pine wood; mortise-and-tenon joinery; relief carving and pigment polychromy. Place of origin: China, Xinjiang. Period: Qing dynasty. Date of manufacture: Circa 1900. Condition: Good. Original polychromy much faded, with old losses along the edge of the top. Wear consistent with age and use. See less