Old elm buffet with two doors – China, circa 1950

This antique low sideboard made of solid elm, with two solid doors and a cut apron, is a storage piece from northern China around 1950. The low sideboard with two doors was the focal piece of rural living rooms in Shanxi during the first half of the 20th century: a generous box for storing utensils, bedding, or crockery, raised a few centimetres above the earthen floor on a cut apron. The frame is assembled using blind mortise and tenon joints, characteristic of traditional Chinese carpentry. The flat, large-panel doors pivot on wooden axes and close with original forged iron rings. The top surface is made up of three elm boards joined edge-to-edge. The patina displays the characteristic straw colour of elm weathered by time, with deep grains and darker areas where the wood has absorbed the patina of use. Small marks and knots enhance the authenticity of a piece that has not undergone invasive restoration. Details. Materials and techniques: Solid elm; mortise and tenon joints; solid doors with forged iron rings. Place of origin: China. Period: Mid-20th century. Date of manufacture: Around 1950. Dimensions: Length 145 cm – Depth 40 cm – Height 85 cm. Condition: Good. Wear consistent with age and use.