Chinese Bookcase with 8 Compartments

An open bookcase of eight pale cubbies with nothing to hide and nowhere to hide it.

This bookcase with 8 compartments is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is lacquered 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. Tall rectangular case with a black frame, split by a central upright into two columns of four open shelves. The interiors show light, bare wood with visible plank grain. It stands on straight square legs with a plain apron. It is 65 inches long, 15 deep and 85 high.

All that open space is just a polite invitation.