(清代栢木刻三元五桂蝴蝶大櫃) Antique large size tapered wedding clothing cabinet with original large size brass fitting in a butterfly shape inlaid with old colorful glass. In the center of this large brass fitting, one can see some carved characters read as “三元五桂 (San Yuan Wu Guei) ”. This phrase came from the ancient court ranking system (科舉制度) when one won the first placement in the high exam (狀元) . The phrase is later used for wishing the newly weds prosperity with many generations to come (三元及第，五子登科，子孫福貴) .

This cabinet came from southern China, Fujian province (福建) . It originally had red lacquer as that was the wedding color, but the wood has been stripped since and refinished in blond color. It is made of the beautiful southern Chinese cypress wood with nice grain. This cabinet is generously constructed with thick post and frame to last for many many years to come. It has ample storage space with two small drawers inside and two drawers at the bottom. It has been refinished in many layers of tree lacquer with traditional technique. In the detailed photos, one can see the nice carved detail and dovetail work as well. Dimensions: 52” W x 24” D x 68.5” H

---