19th Century Buddhist Manuscript Trunk

19th century Buddhist prayer box. A Thai Buddhist manuscript box of the 19th century or earlier. This type of box was used to to store Buddhist texts, known...

18th century Buddhist Chinese Scroll Painting. This is a temple piece and has been re-backed numerous times over its life span. The practice...

Oing Dynasty Antique Carved Raised Panel Cabinet painted top chest. Beautiful hand painted lacquered Cabinet Chest from Fujian province China. Two drawers with top open cabinet. D...

18th century spectacular Chinese raised lacquer cabinet. This cabinet has a wonderful patina that only comes from time and old style craftsmanship lacquer application. A paper or clo...

Large Antique Thai Buddhist Manuscript Storage Cabinet. A tapering upright cabinet made of teak with black lacquered exterior and red interior. The decoration of gold on a black ground on three sides is created by the Lai Rot Nam...

A phenomenal hand carved and painted wooden antique wedding dowry stacked drawer carriage chest from China. Commissioned in the 19th century to commemora...

The chest is constructed of teak covered in lacquer and gold leaf with a hinged lid and detailed decoration on four sides. The high relief thayo lacquer depicts narrative scenes, bordered by a tendril vine frame with reserve cartouches of birds, beasts or men within.  The scenes may be from the Mahajanaka Jataka, one of the last Jataka tales of a life preceding the life of becoming the Buddha. This tale of endurance starts by depicting the rivalry between two brothers fighting for the throne. The lid depicts this great conflict having two battling elephants at center. Half of the surrounding characters are sending the opponents into retreat. The brother that is King is killed. The sides of the chest dynamically continue the story. On the right side of the front scene, the pregnant Queen at the front of the palace is informed of the King’s death  by her kneeling subjects.  On the left side of the front panel, the Queen is shown in retreat with her riches sacked upon her head. On the left side of the chest the story continues with Saka the Lord of the Dewas offering the Queen a lift upon an ox drawn cart. The right side of the chest depicts the pregnant Queen at her destination of refuge discussing her predicament with her long lost brother who offers protection in the birth of her child, Prince Mahajanaka. The elaborate high relief thayo lacquer is molded and modeled of a putty of lacquer sap mixed with clay, saw-dust, or ash. The interior and back are lacquered red. Provenance: From a residence designed by Kalef Alaton. East & Orient Company, Dallas. Private collection, Texas. Lark Mason...

Trunks and storage chests were the most ubiquitous form of household storage throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. Used to store clothes, linens, kitchen utensils, and other miscel...