This old red painted Chinese trunk is from Shanxi Province in Northern China and dates from circa 1900. This chest is constructed from painted paulownia wood (tong mu / 桐木). 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 crafted into furniture and given as part of a bride's dowry symbolising hope for a prosperous & enduring marriage. 

The painting on the front depicts scholarly articles associated with wisdom. What is particularly interesting is a carriage clock with Roman numerals in the center of the design, an undoubted luxury and status symbol for a family. Shanxi was particularly isolated from Western trade & influences, surrounded by mountains without the canals which facilitated trade throughout the rest of China and over 500km from the nearest port in Tianjin. 

Like all our pieces, it has been sympathetically restored in our workshop, showing signs of wear and the marks of age.