Minneapolis Institute of Art

Wedding chest

China

Date

early 19th century

Medium

Wood, bamboo, lacquer, metal

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

China is renowned for its hardwood furniture, which is polished to reveal the beauty and warm color of the natural wood. From the Song dynasty (960-1279) onward, however, China also produced luxurious pieces of furniture that were covered in whole or in part with lacquer. Carved lacquer furniture was at first only affordable for the imperial family or the extremely wealthy, but by the 19th century it became increasingly more affordable for nearly all levels of society. Nevertheless, owing to the laborious technique, lacquered furniture tends to be smaller in scale or limited to decorated areas on larger pieces of furniture. The style was especially popular in certain regions, like Shanxi province where this wedding chest was made. This wedding chest is a good example demonstrating both red lacquer decoration and woven bamboo construction techniques. Asia

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