Antique carved pine buffet – China, circa 1900

Low buffet, an old carved piece made of pine, provincial Chinese furniture from the west, originating from Xinjiang and dated around 1900. It comes from Xinjiang in western China, from the late 19th century, where the local pine was worked using traditional mortise and tenon joinery without nails, featuring fronts adorned with relief carvings. In rural homes of western China, carved low buffets occupied the main room and served both as storage furniture and as ornamental elements. The density of the carving made it the visual centrepiece of the interior, equivalent to the role that polychrome lacquer painting played in other regions. Constructed from solid pine using traditional mortise and tenon joinery, without nails. The front features five doors with circular iron handles, each designed as a hollow panel with a moulded frame and carved in relief with geometric lattice and quadrilobed floral motifs. The lower belt continues the sculptural language with a meander and lattice design. The upper top is finished with prominent lobed ends, characteristic of rural furniture from the north. Details. Dimensions: Length 219 cm – Depth 47 cm – Height 71 cm. Style: Provincial Chinese furniture from the west. Materials and techniques: Solid pine; mortise and tenon joinery without nails, five doors carved in relief with lattice and floral motifs, sculpted belt, circular iron handles. Place of origin: Xinjiang (China) Period: Late Qing dynasty (circa 1900) Date of manufacture: Circa 1900. Condition / Observations: Structure intact. Original patina. Well-preserved carving. Marks and signs of use. Wear consistent with age and use.