Antique pine wood buffet – China, circa 1930

Antique buffet painted in pine wood, Chinese provincial furniture with floral decoration originating from Gansu, dated around 1930. It comes from Gansu in western China, from the early 20th century, where local pine was crafted using traditional mortise and tenon joinery without nails and lacquered in black and vermilion, on which the floral decoration was painted. In the salons and dining rooms of Gansu homes in the early 20th century, buffets were central pieces of the household trousseau: they contained crockery, textiles, and everyday objects, and visually articulated the main space. When they featured painted decoration, the front cartouche served as a permanent domestic painting. Their typology belongs to the provincial tradition of western China, where the furniture had a recognisable regional character. Constructed from solid Gansu pine according to traditional nail-free joinery. The façade is organised into a double vermilion lacquered door with a black frame, secured with a metal ring handle, and a lower base adorned with a decorative frieze. The feet are square in section. The joinery retains the imprint of provincial furniture from the west. Details. Dimensions: Length 98 cm – Depth 40 cm – Height 84 cm. Style: Painted Chinese provincial furniture. Materials and techniques: Solid Gansu pine, black and vermilion lacquer, polychrome painting on a gold background, wrought iron fittings; nail-free mortise and tenon joinery, double front door, painted cartouche with calligraphic inscription. Place of origin: Gansu, China. Period: Late Qing dynasty / early Republic of China (circa 1930) Date of manufacture: Circa 1930. Condition / Observations: Structure intact. Original patina and paint. Marks and signs of use. Wear consistent with age and use.