Two Door Painted Chest

A rolled-up scroll or rootwood brush pot may have once been among the treasured objects stored in this early 19th-century book chest. Like many cabinets from the era, the chest sits up on a platform designed to protect the cabinet and its contents from moisture and allow air to circulate beneath. Countless coats of red lacquer give the front doors their inimitable rich finish, each adorned with remnants of once-elaborate gilt paintings. Each panel depicts a mountainous landscape and a magnificent courtyard home, dotted with scenes of courtly life.