The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 22, 2023

Small Chest with Inner Drawers

帶暗屜木箱

1700s

China, Qing dynasty

(1644-1911)

Rosewood (huanghuali) and metal

Overall: 40.7 x 41.3 x 35.6 cm (16 x 16 1/4 x 14 in.)

Gift of Miss Mildred F. Walker 1982.117

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

The top lifts up to gain access to the storage area below and allows the front doors to open, revealing 5 interior drawers.

Description

This small chest fitted with drawers and a tray was used to store seals, cosmetic utensils, or other necessities of daily life. Chests were portable and placed on tables or shelves and were secured with a metal pin inserted through the metal loops on the front panels. The rare tropical hardwood (huanghuali) would have been only affordable to individuals of a higher social status.

Provenance
?–1982
Miss Helen M. Walker [1892–1989], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
1982–
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Citations
Lee, Sherman E. “Year in Review for 1982.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 70, no. 1, 1983, pp. 3–55. Mentioned: p. 55, cat. no. 130 www.jstor.org
Spee, Clarissa von. “Have a Seat! From Floor Culture to Furniture of Ming and Qing Dynasty China.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 61, no. 1 (Winter 2021): 14–15. Reproduced: p. 14; Mentioned: pp. 14–15
Exhibition history

The Year in Review for 1982. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 5-February 6, 1983).

Stories From Storage. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 7-May 16, 2021).

China through the Magnifying Glass: Masterpieces in Miniature and Detail. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 11, 2022-February 26, 2023).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1982.117