Painted Opera Chest From Shanxi - 19th Century Finish - Black Lacquer each painted with six phoenixes

each painted with six phoenixes surrounded by leafy flowering peonies

Crafted from old Chinese bleached elm doors this table has svelte tapering metal legs

Dating to the 19th century it would have been covered in pitch to protect it from the elements

50 x 40 x 62 cms (wxdxh)

Painted Opera Chest From Shanxi - 19th Century Finish - Black Lacquer each painted with six phoenixesThis old painted Opera Chest depicts scenes of the traditional Chinese opera. This style of Chinese chest is found exclusively in Shanxi Province in Northern China and dates from the late 19th century. Opera chests, including this one, are constructed from paulownia wood (tong mu ). Paulownia trees were often planted at the birth of a daughter and were considered symbols of prosperity, fertility & marital bliss. Upon reaching maturity the tree would