Antique carved pine buffet – China, circa 1900

Antique buffet carved from pine wood, provincial Chinese furniture from the west originating from Xinjiang, dated around 1900. It comes from Shanxi, in western China, from the late 19th century, where the local pine was worked using traditional mortise and tenon joinery without nails, featuring fronts carved in bas-relief and a decorative frieze on the apron. In rural Xinjiang homes, carved buffets held a central place in the main room: they served as storage furniture and, due to the density of their carvings, fulfilled an ornamental and symbolic function within the family heirloom. Constructed from solid pine using traditional mortise and tenon joinery, without nails. The front features four doors with circular iron handles, each resolved in a carved bas-relief panel of latticework and stylised rosettes. The lower apron is finished with a carved meander frieze. The upper top extends with prominent lobed ends. Details. Dimensions: Length 224 cm – Depth 48 cm – Height 70 cm. Style: Provincial furniture from Xinjiang. Materials and techniques: Solid pine; mortise and tenon joinery without nails, four carved bas-relief doors, frieze with carved decoration, circular iron handles. Place of origin: Xinjiang (China) Period: Late Qing dynasty (circa 1900) Date of manufacture: Circa 1900. Condition / Observations: Structure intact. Original patina. Well-preserved carving. Wear consistent with age and use.