Kang Cabinet From Tianjin - 19th Century
This handsome 19th century Kang cabinet originates from Tianjin, a key furniture making centre in northern China whose workshops developed a distinctive local style. Tianjin pieces are known for their clean, rectilinear forms, refined brass hardware and well proportioned storage layouts, all of which are evident in this cabinet’s elegant long, low profile. Crafted from lightly figured burr elm (yingmu 樱木 / yumu), the surface displays the swirling, complex grain patterns that made burr timber one of the most desirable materials among Qing period craftsmen. While burr elm was often reserved for panel insets, here it is used extensively across the entire case, giving the cabinet a rich, unified presence.
The arrangement follows the classic Tianjin format of five drawers set above a pair of central doors, originally fitted with single hinges per door. The current shaped hinges are later replacements, though the large round brass lock plate remains original. The cabinet rests on a low frame with a finely carved apron, its continuous scrollwork typical of northern workshops. Designed to sit beside the heated kang platform in prosperous northern homes, these long cabinets provided both practical storage and a decorative focal point within the room. Today their proportions make them particularly well suited for use as media units or low sideboards in modern interiors.
- Origin: Tianjin, China
- Date: 19th Century
- Materials: Burr elm (yingmu / yumu) with brass hardware
- Features: Classic Tianjin layout of five drawers over double doors; original round brass lock plate; later replaced door hinges (original form single hinge per door); carved apron; richly figured burr grain
- Condition: Good antique condition with age related marks and an excellent patina; later hinges. Restored and refinished in our UK workshops.
- Dimensions: W106 × D52 × H45 cm
Original: $3,054.30
-65%$3,054.30
$1,069.01More Images
Kang Cabinet From Tianjin - 19th Century
This handsome 19th century Kang cabinet originates from Tianjin, a key furniture making centre in northern China whose workshops developed a distinctive local style. Tianjin pieces are known for their clean, rectilinear forms, refined brass hardware and well proportioned storage layouts, all of which are evident in this cabinet’s elegant long, low profile. Crafted from lightly figured burr elm (yingmu 樱木 / yumu), the surface displays the swirling, complex grain patterns that made burr timber one of the most desirable materials among Qing period craftsmen. While burr elm was often reserved for panel insets, here it is used extensively across the entire case, giving the cabinet a rich, unified presence.
The arrangement follows the classic Tianjin format of five drawers set above a pair of central doors, originally fitted with single hinges per door. The current shaped hinges are later replacements, though the large round brass lock plate remains original. The cabinet rests on a low frame with a finely carved apron, its continuous scrollwork typical of northern workshops. Designed to sit beside the heated kang platform in prosperous northern homes, these long cabinets provided both practical storage and a decorative focal point within the room. Today their proportions make them particularly well suited for use as media units or low sideboards in modern interiors.
- Origin: Tianjin, China
- Date: 19th Century
- Materials: Burr elm (yingmu / yumu) with brass hardware
- Features: Classic Tianjin layout of five drawers over double doors; original round brass lock plate; later replaced door hinges (original form single hinge per door); carved apron; richly figured burr grain
- Condition: Good antique condition with age related marks and an excellent patina; later hinges. Restored and refinished in our UK workshops.
- Dimensions: W106 × D52 × H45 cm
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Description
This handsome 19th century Kang cabinet originates from Tianjin, a key furniture making centre in northern China whose workshops developed a distinctive local style. Tianjin pieces are known for their clean, rectilinear forms, refined brass hardware and well proportioned storage layouts, all of which are evident in this cabinet’s elegant long, low profile. Crafted from lightly figured burr elm (yingmu 樱木 / yumu), the surface displays the swirling, complex grain patterns that made burr timber one of the most desirable materials among Qing period craftsmen. While burr elm was often reserved for panel insets, here it is used extensively across the entire case, giving the cabinet a rich, unified presence.
The arrangement follows the classic Tianjin format of five drawers set above a pair of central doors, originally fitted with single hinges per door. The current shaped hinges are later replacements, though the large round brass lock plate remains original. The cabinet rests on a low frame with a finely carved apron, its continuous scrollwork typical of northern workshops. Designed to sit beside the heated kang platform in prosperous northern homes, these long cabinets provided both practical storage and a decorative focal point within the room. Today their proportions make them particularly well suited for use as media units or low sideboards in modern interiors.
- Origin: Tianjin, China
- Date: 19th Century
- Materials: Burr elm (yingmu / yumu) with brass hardware
- Features: Classic Tianjin layout of five drawers over double doors; original round brass lock plate; later replaced door hinges (original form single hinge per door); carved apron; richly figured burr grain
- Condition: Good antique condition with age related marks and an excellent patina; later hinges. Restored and refinished in our UK workshops.
- Dimensions: W106 × D52 × H45 cm
