Red & Black Painted Lacquer Wedding Cabinet From Shanxi -19thC Material - Elm (Reclaimed) Slaked lime (chunnam) paste is

Slaked lime (chunnam) paste is commonly added to bind the leaves

(On wheels)

A similar example can be seen in "Folk Art & Culture of Gujarat: A Guide to the Collection of the Shreyas Folk Museum of Gujarat" by Jyotindra Jain - figure 245

The frame is made from the highest quality keyaki / zelkova (Japanese red elm) wood

Lacquering is done by the craftsman on a hand powered lathe

Red & Black Painted Lacquer Wedding Cabinet From Shanxi -19thC Material - Elm (Reclaimed) Slaked lime (chunnam) paste isOne of a pair of old Chinese red and black lacquer wedding cabinets from Shanxi province. The other cabinet can be found HERE. This beautifully painted cabinet is adorned with various birds, insects and flowers. There are also stylized patterns around the edges and wise objects, although faded, can still be seen at the bottom of the cabinet. Lacquer cabinets were often given as wedding gifts usually in pairs. The lacquer is a resin made from the sap