A Tianjin Style Chest with 3 Drawers, Two Doors And Original Patina
An exceptionally original 19th century houshold storage coffer in the Tianjin Style. Tianjin is a large city in Northeast China that acts as the port of Beijing. It was a prosperous city and the furniture made there was known for is solidity and clean, balnaced lines. Tianjin storage chests typically feature heavy brass handles and lockplates. All hardware on this chest is original and the patina on the wood is aged and lovely; natural oxblood lacquer, which has rubbed off in some areas and darkened in other areas due to more than a century of use. The piece was probably part of a dowry and exhibitied in a highly visible part of the home. The whitish deposits on the legs suggest that the piece sat on a terra cotta floor that was often moist.