Six Door Sideboard Coffer

A skilled artisan of China's Shanxi province built this storage coffer, respecting the refined lines of Ming-dynasty furniture design by using traditional mortise and tenon joinery techniques. Its beautifully-worn finish shows years of use by the family who very well may have received it as part of a woman's dowry. Narrow coffers such as this were often used as family altars - the drawers used for holding incense and the additional space beneath used for other household goods. The original hand-wrought brass hardware of this Qing-dynasty coffer complements its dark finish like the best understated jewelry.