Painted Opera Chest From Shanxi - 19th Century Material - Chicken Wing Wood creating a beautifully aged patina

creating a beautifully aged patina that speaks to their long history and use

For a similar example see plate 94 in The Decorative Arts of The China Trade by Crossman

Keyaki was prized for its deep colours and beautiful grain structure

framed by windowed scenes of elders in traditional Chinese clothing

but it shows the traditional art of beautiful jewelry making is still very much alive in India

Painted Opera Chest From Shanxi - 19th Century Material - Chicken Wing Wood creating a beautifully aged patinaThis old painted Chinese trunk is often referred to as an Opera Chest. This style of Chinese chest is found exclusively in Shanxi Province in Northern China and dates from the late 19th century. Opera chests, including this one, are constructed from paulownia wood (tong mu ) Paulownia trees were often planted at the birth of a daughter and were considered symbols of prosperity, fertility & marital bliss. Upon reaching maturity the tree would be