Red Lacquer Painted Armoire Pot The outer ring and central

The outer ring and central hole symbolise heaven and earth

as well as the outer frame

These colourful drums make unusual side tables

while the spandrels at the corners of the top rail and side posts are also finely carved

It is rare now to find cabinets like this is such excellent

Red Lacquer Painted Armoire Pot The outer ring and centralShanxi, circa 1880 This old armoire is still in its original cinnabar red colour. The paintings on the doors and bottom fixed panel were once in bright gold, the gold leaf applied by hand in a process referred to as 'miao jin'. The gold has largely worn away to show just the dark base underneath, leaving just subtle traces of the old paintings of landscapes. The scrolling pattern along the outer frames is slightly clearer, along with the detail of