Chinese Altar Cabinet with 2 Side Doors

Bright orange-red chest, flat-fronted and scuffed in all the right places.

This altar cabinet with 2 side doors is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is elm wood. During the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976, a great deal of antique Chinese furniture was burned, confiscated or scattered, which the article says helped start the scarcity of such pieces. The surface is burnished orange with darker red patches and pale scrapes along the edges and corners. Rectangular box with a plain lid, simple stepped base, and no visible hardware on the front. It is 37 inches long, 18 deep and 28 high.

Sunny, plain and not remotely shy about it.