Dongbei, circa 1900

This unusual, pale wood cabinet is from China’s northeast region of Dongbei. It is made from poplar, stripped back to the natural wood colour, and the circular hardware on the doors is original. Cabinets like this were used in the kitchen or dining area of a Chinese home to store and dry noodles and other foodstuffs. Cooking utensils or bowls would have been stored inside the bottom section and the three shallow drawers. The lattice panels are set within thick frames and there is a single removable shelf inside the top section, with a further one in the bottom. Today the cabinet would still make a nice kitchen dresser or could be used to store anything from books or ornaments to records or a music system.