Chinese Bookcase with 9 Compartments and 20 Drawers

Open shelves up top, a grid of tiny drawers below, and a black coat of seriousness.

This bookcase with 9 compartments and 20 drawers is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 20th 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 cabinet in glossy black with an irregular arrangement of open compartments above and a dense grid of small drawers with round pulls below. It stands on four plain straight legs, and the finish shows a few scuffs. It is 54.25 inches long, 20 deep and 90 high.

Orderly to the point of bookkeeping.