Qinghai, circa 1880

This stunning cabinet is in a beautiful condition, still with the old paintings and exquisite carving around the upper shelf section. It comes from Qinghai in western China and is distinctive of furniture from the region. Often cabinets like this are cut down to produce a lower sideboard that is more practical for modern tastes, but this one is in its original form. The two doors are set centrally in the lower section, but give access to the full space in side. The paintings show various flowers in soft orange, red and green along with butterflies – symbols for long life and happiness . The carving around the shelf is in a floral pattern to complement the paintings, and decorated in once bright colours, now faded but still providing a lovely contrast to the black lacquer.