Antique buffet painted in pine wood – China, circa 1900

This antique painted pine sideboard is a Chinese piece with two doors, featuring a light lacquer and remnants of floral decoration. It originates from northern China, from the Qing dynasty, where pine was given a pale lacquer undercoat intended for brush painting. The two-door sideboard with a panelled plinth was placed against the wall of the main room and stored dishes and linens. The painted front was the only part treated; the sides and back remained in bare wood, indicating a piece designed to be viewed only from the front. The carcass is made of solid pine, joined with mortise and tenon joints. Two framed panel doors open to an interior with a shelf, featuring iron rings on rosettes. The plinth consists of two recessed panels and four straight square-section legs. Only a glaze remains of the original decoration: pink peonies and leaves in a very muted turquoise green, dissolved against the cream background to read as colour splotches rather than a drawing. In places, the lacquer has chipped away, revealing the pine beneath. This wear is the essence of the piece. The surface reads like a faded watercolour, with the pink and turquoise emerging from the light background. No repaint attempts to reconstruct the design. With a height of 84 cm, it serves as a dining room sideboard, an entrance piece, or a piece for a wide corridor. The pale, faded tone particularly suits light interiors with a neutral palette. Details. Dimensions: Length 159 cm – Depth 40 cm – Height 84 cm. Style: Painted Chinese. Materials and techniques: Pine wood; wrought iron fittings; mortise and tenon joinery; light lacquer and hand-painted decoration. Place of origin: China. Period: Qing dynasty. Date of manufacture: Circa 1900. Condition / Observations: Good. Original lacquer and paint very faded, chipping and exposed wood. Wear consistent with age and use.