This antique multi-drawer cabinet in pine wood features a 15 drawer grid with ring-shaped hand-forged iron pulls and a forged central lock. It originates from northern China, from the late Qing dynasty, where pine was worked using traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery.
Multiple-drawer cabinets from northern China served in traditional pharmacies, shops and well-off houses to sort medicinal herbs, spices, grains and small household items. The regular drawer grid allowed clear functional organisation and the central lock protected the more valuable contents. The type belongs to the civil register of late Qing domestic furniture.
The body is built in solid pine. The front is organised in a grid of three rows with a total of 15 drawers, each with a circular hand-forged iron pull secured by rivet. At the centre of the top band sits a forged lock with applied decorative escutcheon. The sides are solid and the legs continue square to the floor. The construction is traditional Chinese mortise-and-tenon, without metal fasteners.
The patina keeps a warm brown tone with the pine grain clearly visible. The top surface shows the natural figure of the wood with soft use marks: small longitudinal cracks, softened corners, a lighter patina on the front in areas of frequent handling. The central lock has oxidised in a stable way and keeps its escutcheon. The hardware retains a natural oxidation.
With its 190 cm length, nine operational drawers and the anchor presence of the central lock, this cabinet works as a main piece in ample living rooms, dining rooms and entrances. It serves as organised storage or as a decorative piece of character. It suits wabi-sabi, japandi, contemporary rustic and Asian-inspired interiors.
Details
- Dimensions: Length 190 cm – Width 45 cm – Height 83 cm
- Style: Qing Dynasty
- Materials and techniques: Solid pine; hand-forged iron hardware; forged central lock; traditional Chinese mortise-and-tenon joinery; aged natural finish.
- Place of origin: China
- Period: Late Qing dynasty / Early Republic
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1930
- Condition: Good. Warm patina with hand-forged iron central lock preserved. Wear consistent with age and use.
This piece is part of the curated collection of Amaru Antiques, Barcelona.
ONE OF A KIND PIECE
