Closet; China, Qing dynasty, c. 1880.

Cabinet; China, Qing dynasty, c. 1880.
Jumo (elm) wood and metal fittings.
Measurements: 250 x 108 x 51.5 cm.
Two-body cupboard made of elm wood (known locally as jumu), this type of furniture is characterized by its robust structure, its balanced proportions and the sobriety of its lines, distinctive features of domestic furniture of the time.
The typology corresponds to a cupboard with two superimposed bodies, composed of two compartments closed with double-leaf doors, each fitted with circular metal fittings, known as moon plates and pin locks. In the lower part, the cabinet is raised on straight legs joined by a molding carved with vegetal and interlaced motifs, a detail that adds visual lightness and a subtle decoration to the sober ensemble.
As for the style, it responds to the refined taste of the late Qing dynasty, which combined the structural simplicity inherited from the Ming aesthetic with a greater ornamental richness in the metal details and carvings.
Similar examples can be found in international collections, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York or the National Museum of China in Beijing, where there are cabinets with two bodies made of elm wood or other hardwoods, belonging to the same period and with circular hardware.