(蘇式栢木鑲竹大櫃) A rarer Su-Zhou (蘇州) style wider cabinet made of rare Bai wood (栢木) and bamboo slats. It has nice smooth darker finish with beautiful bamboo patina. Although there are other types of cabinets made with bamboo slats can be found from the early 20th century period from nearby Ningbo (寧波) and Shanghai (上海) area, few can be found from the Su-Zhou area that are made of Bai wood and are older and wider in width. Furniture pieces made of Southern Bai wood, Southern Chinese cypress, can be dated to the 17th century and are very rare. This piece is probably from the mid 19th century.

Suzhou is considered the source of Ming furniture by many. This is because Suzhou was often chosen by the dynasty emperors to spend time for leisurely activities and for building summer retreats for its natural beauty. It also became a gathering place for the literary and social elites. Hence, giving its cultural element as well as the availability of the variety of exotic wood because of the thriving transportation through water, it had for centuries attracted the best craftsmen and wood workers who flopped to the area to showcase their skills in building the best woodwork. Hence, Suzhou earned a reputation for the elegance and the craftsmanship for the woodwork produced in the area. It is also possible that this piece might have been made in Nan-Tong (南通), also a city in Jiangsu Province (江蘇) that is not too far from Suzhou, where it had a thriving woodworking industry and is increasingly believed for being part of the source of Ming or Ming style furniture making.

Dimensions: 43.75" x 22.25" x 73.125"

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