This remarkable 'dressing' chest is a rare and particularly fine example of 18th century lacquered furniture, constructed and decorated in a Chinese workshop, to closely resemble the cabinetry of contemporary English furniture makers.

Perhaps most immediately noticeable is the fine geometric gilt detailing on the drawfronts, which lends a remarkable depth of field and a pleasingly light overall tone. Flora and fauna are picked out on this field with great clarity and skill. The dividers, in turn, are decorated with the most beautifully wrought entwined ribbon repeating motif.

The top too is a work of real quality; scenes of arboreal and domestic paradise are depicted using subtle browns and golds, and the artist has created an effect of quiet upland mist, disturbed only by a flock of birds rising from the trees. The top is bordered with typical Cantonese motifs.

Cantonese characters on the inside of the structure of this piece suggest that it was assembled in a larger commercial workshop, for export, differentiating it from lacquered furniture given as wedding presents, made for domestic use in smaller local workshops.

The design of this piece exactly imitates those of mid-18th century English chests, and it is highly likely that the simple, elegant brass handles are, in fact, English. The addition of a velvet slide within the top drawer and a 'double' drawer in the middle make this an extremely rare example of its kind.

For a comparable piece, see the Chinese export lacquer dressing chest of drawers sold at Sotheby's, London, on March 9th 2007, lot 574.

Make an enquiry via email here.
Call:+44 (0) 20 7730 2122

View all Antiques here.