Painted Opera Chest From Shanxi - 19th Century Material - Chicken Wing Wood This lovely teak panel has

This lovely teak panel has been salvaged from an old building in South India

Keyaki was prized for its deep colours and beautiful grain structure

It is over 230 years old and has a beautiful patina

framed by windowed scenes of elders in traditional Chinese clothing

For a similar example see plate 94 in The Decorative Arts of The China Trade by Crossman

Painted Opera Chest From Shanxi - 19th Century Material - Chicken Wing Wood This lovely teak panel hasThis old painted Chinese trunk is often referred to as an Opera Chest. This style of Chinese chest is found exclusively in Shanxi Province in Northern China and dates from the late 19th century. Opera chests, including this one, are constructed from paulownia wood (tong mu ) Paulownia trees were often planted at the birth of a daughter and were considered symbols of prosperity, fertility & marital bliss. Upon reaching maturity the tree would be