This Shanxi sideboard in solid pine keeps its original red-orange painted finish intact, a rarity in Chinese provincial furniture that has crossed a century. It gathers four upper drawers, a central two-door body and a lower apron with carved panels. Shanxi, China, circa 1930.
The intense red — traditionally obtained from iron-oxide pigments or other mineral earths over an oil-based ground — was applied to the most representative pieces of the main hall: a symbol of fortune and status in northern Chinese domestic culture. Keeping the original paint after almost a century of use is exceptional and multiplies the heritage interest of the piece.
The solid pine structure articulates four upper drawers with individually carved panels, two central doors with moulded frames, an interior with intermediate shelf, and a lower apron with five carved panels. The hardware is original in wrought iron. Joinery is traditional mortise and tenon.
The red paint patina shows the honest wear of time: paler tones in rubbed areas, deep intense red in protected ones, dark marks from use. The top retains the aged natural wood, a chromatic contrast with the painted body.
It works well as a centrepiece in a sitting room, dining room or wide entryway. The chromatic strength of the red-orange dialogues with neutral or earth-tone palettes, and the vertical format (one metre tall by just over one metre wide) makes it compatible with non-large spaces.
Details
- Materials and techniques: Solid pine; original red-orange paint over traditional ground; wrought iron hardware; carved panels; mortise and tenon joinery
- Place of origin: Shanxi, China
- Period: Late Qing tradition
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1930
- Dimensions: Length 106 cm × Width 40 cm × Height 100 cm
- Condition: Good. Wear consistent with age and use. Original patina and red painted finish.
ONE OF A KIND PIECE
At Amaru Antiques (Barcelona) we select each antique for its history, its craftsmanship and the quiet presence it brings to a contemporary home.
