Cabinet
Category
Furniture
Date
c. 1900
Materials
Hardwood, softwood, brass
Measurements
2286 mm (H); 1447 mm (W); 457 mm (D)
Place of origin
China
Order this imageCollection
Castle Ward, County Down
NT 834758.2
Summary
One of a pair of compound cabinets (dingxiang’gui 顶箱柜), Chinese, c. 1900 (the carving possibly older). Consisting of two sections, the bottom part with rectangular doors, the top part with square doors, with brass hinges and escutcheons, the carcase constructed of softwood, inset on the front with panels of hardwood carved in low relief with still-lifes of objects from among the ‘100 antiques’ (百古 baigu, i.e. precious, old, culturally resonant objects), such as vases with flowers, incense burners and implements, scrolls, a board and counters for the game of weiqi (围棋), a holder for brushes, sets of books and a wine ewer, all surrounded by floral and foliate borders with meander edges.
Full description
Chinese compound cabinets, often found in pairs, were used to store items of clothing or bedding, with the upper section intended for hats or smaller items. The low-relief panels may have been taken from other pieces of furniture and attached to the present carcases in about 1900. The frieze panels at the top of the upper sections may originally have served as the aprons of wardrobes or cabinets.
Provenance
Purchased by the National Trust with assistance from the Ulster Land Fund, 1967.