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Straits Chinese Shrine Box

SOLD

‘Red and Gold’ Shrine Cabinet made for the Straits Chinese Market

Southern China, 19th century

height: 46 cm; depth: 14.5 cm;

length: 34 cm

This beautiful miniature pinewood shrine cabinet has two doors each with four gilded panels finely carved with humming birds amid flowers and foliage, and incense burners also amid flowers and foliage. The doors have their original brass handles. The reverse of the doors and the back of the interior of the cabinet are decorated with Chinese scenes executed in gold leaf against a black lacquer background. The interior is lined with a finely carved and gilded openwork fringe; a low, detachable miniature red and gold altar table sits inside.

The cabinet sits on a gilded and red lacquered rococo-style openwork black lacquer base over which there is a gilded band of repeated ‘

shu

’ (longevity) emblems.

The reverse is marked in black ink with Chinese characters that spell out the shop name ‘

Shang Ji

.’

Inventory no.: 34

SOLD