Chinese Black Lacquer Elm Sideboard - 19thC Tansu This striking military chest is

This striking military chest is constructed from teak and has the original brass corners and fittings

It has been salvaged from a building fallen into disrepair in the South Indian state of Andra Pradesh

This cabinet is painted on the front

atmospheric surface that speaks to the cabinet’s age and long history of everyday use

Chinese Black Lacquer Elm Sideboard - 19thC Tansu This striking military chest isThis beautiful traditional black lacquer Chinese sideboard is a classic example of black lacquering on sideboards made for city residents in Shanxi Province in North China. Beautifully painted with good luck and wise symbols to instill wisdom in the owner. Sideboards like this would have been used as altar cabinets, for burning incense on and making offerings to the ancestors. Over 150 years old and made in the first half of the 19th century, soft