This antique sideboard in solid pine, with original red paint, two drawers and two doors, is a domestic piece from northern China around 1920. It bears no maker’s mark and is described by typology and region.
Drawer sideboards from Shanxi were a staple piece in rural living rooms: the upper drawers kept seeds, spices or small valuables under lock, while the lower doors stored bedding or everyday utensils. Red paint was applied over pine to protect the wood and bring colour indoors.
The frame is built with blind mortise-and-tenon joinery. A thick coat of vermilion-pigmented paint covers the front, sides and top. The two lower doors swing on pivots and close with leaf-shaped wrought-iron rings and escutcheons. The two upper drawers retain their original pulls.
The patina shows a strong, irregular wear: deep red still dominates the centre panels, while corners, edges and top reveal the pale pine beneath after decades of use. This layered reading is part of the piece’s historical value and is intentional. No invasive restoration.
It works as a piece of character in an entryway, an open kitchen or a rustic-contemporary living room. Its palette — deep red over live wood — sits well with whitewashed walls, glazed tile floors and wabi-sabi or boho interiors that accept saturated colour as an accent.
Details
- Materials and techniques: Solid pine wood; original red paint over wood; wrought-iron fittings
- Place of origin: China
- Period: Early Republican period
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1920
- Dimensions: Length 88 cm – Depth 40 cm – Height 85 cm
- Condition: Good. Original patina and paint. Wear consistent with age. May show signs of use.
This piece is part of the curated collection of Amaru Antiques, Barcelona.
ONE OF A KIND PIECE
