Antique Panelled Sideboard in Pine, China, 1900

Details

Description

This antique panelled sideboard in pine wood is a Chinese two-door cabinet with nine recessed panels per leaf and iron … Read more This antique panelled sideboard in pine wood is a Chinese two-door cabinet with nine recessed panels per leaf and iron ring pulls. It originates from northern China, from the Qing dynasty, where pine was joined with mortise and tenon without recourse to carving.The nine-panel grid is a constructional solution before a decorative one: it breaks the leaf into small squares so the wood can move without splitting. In northern domestic furniture that geometric discipline replaced carved ornament, reserved for pieces of higher rank.The case is solid pine. Two framed doors open onto an interior with a full-width shelf, and the stiles continue into stirrup feet. The rear edge of the top carries an iron strap riveted with round-headed nails, an old reinforcement made in the house itself.The surface has lost almost all its finish and shows bare pine in a greyish pink tone. The panel mouldings retain traces of dark lacquer in the depth of the groove. The wear is even and there is no repaint.Its height of 88 cm makes it a dining-room sideboard, an entrance-hall cabinet or a supporting piece in a wide corridor. The panel grid gives it an almost architectural order that works well in minimal interiors.

Dimensions: Length 192 cm – Width 46 cm – Height 88 cm. Style: Panelled Chinese. Materials and techniques: Pine wood; hand-forged iron hardware and riveted strap; mortise-and-tenon joinery; traces of original lacquer. Place of origin: China. Period: Qing dynasty. Date of manufacture: Circa 1900. Condition: Good. Finish lost and wood exposed, with traces of dark lacquer in the mouldings. Wear consistent with age and use. See less