Chinese Cabinet with 2 Drawers & 2 Doors

Two small drawers sit above a pair of doors and look very sure of themselves.

This cabinet with 2 drawers & 2 doors is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is lacquered elm wood. As original period furniture became harder to find, restoration artists began salvaging fragments from incomplete pieces to make complete ones, and eventually full reproductions began to surface. Compact cabinet with a thick flat top, two shallow drawers with ring pulls, and paired panelled doors closed by a round metal plate. Deep reddish-brown finish, plain straight sides, and sturdy block legs with a gentle glow. It is 25.25 inches long, 15.25 deep and 24 high.

Sober, square and entirely without frills.