Mid 19th Century Antique Yu Mu Northern Elm Tapered Cabinet

This cabinet with clean lines is one of the most iconic design of Chinese furniture from the Ming Dynasty CE 1368 to 1644. It is appreciated with its austere elegance and would be found in most scholar’s studio for storage of books and objects of art. The tapered cabinet (although it is hard to see from the images, the cabinet at the top is smaller in width than is base.) has wood hinged doors, round-edged top protruding beyond the side posts. There are no hinges, the doorspanels swing oo woodeon pegs that fit into the holes in the top board and the base. The holes are deeper on the top and shallow on the base board – this is for the ease of removal. The knowledge of using pivoted doors is ancient – they were in use on bronze stove doors from the Zhou period that is over 3000 years ago. The removable center stile has an opened mortise on the bottom board. This allows the doors to close properly and also to prevent long objects from falling out. When taken out, it makes removal of objects easier. Two drawers are attached below the second shelf. The height between shelves are appropriate to store taller objects. The wood with its beautiful wood grains is Yu Mu, a northern elm which is a highly desired furniture wood for most households. The mortise and tenon joinery can be clearly seen on the rounded top board. Dating the cabinet should be left to the experts, but from what I observe, a mid 19th century date would be appropriate.

This simple style is ageless and can easily fit into today’s decorating scheme.