（清代全木雕小紅漆素面嫁妝手提圓茶桶）Very Rare Small Antique Red Lacquer Oval Tea Carrying Cask. Unlike most other different styles of tea cask which are often made of sections of wood and pegged together with wood pegs and wrapped with metal bands outside to further secure the wood strips from falling apart after years of use and at different climates sometimes, this little gem is hand-carved out of one piece of wood with a thick body frame, perfectly shaped, to ensure its lasting use with the thoughtful and generous expense from a bride's family as part of the bride's dowry set. This smaller than usual tea cask was created for a bride in the Ningbo/ Zhiang-Zhe area, south of Yangtze river, where traditionally the best woodworkers gathered and worked to show off their best craftsmanship and fine materials used. This tea cask has been well treasured with its vibrant red pigment made of precious organic mineral still vivid and intact after many years. There are a couple small cracks on the body of the bucket that had developed through time, but they are not too noticeable. The handle is also missing a wooden locking bar on the left side that secure the handle to the bucket. The inside of the cask had been repainted in a darker finish, so it is hard to see what kind of wood it might be made of. The wood looks like it could be a Huali or a special Chinese cedar type of dense wood with large fine grain with its weight. This is a late 19 to early 20th century piece.


Dimensions: 8 1/2" x 7" x 10 1/2" H

---