The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 13, 2025

Small Chest with Inner Drawers

1700s

China, Qing dynasty

(1644-1911)
Rosewood (huanghuali) and metal
Overall: 40.7 x 41.3 x 35.6 cm (16 x 16 1/4 x 14 in.)
Gift of Miss Mildred F. Walker 1982.117
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The top lifts up to gain access to the storage area below and allows the front doors to open, revealing 5 interior drawers.

Description

This small chest fitted with drawers and a tray was used to store seals, cosmetic utensils, or other necessities of daily life. Chests were portable and placed on tables or shelves and were secured with a metal pin inserted through the metal loops on the front panels. The rare tropical hardwood (huanghuali) would have been only affordable to individuals of a higher social status.
  • ?–1982
    Miss Helen M. Walker [1892–1989], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1982–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Lee, Sherman E. “Year in Review for 1982.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 70, no. 1, 1983, pp. 3–55. Mentioned: p. 55, cat. no. 130 www.jstor.org
    Spee, Clarissa von. “Have a Seat! From Floor Culture to Furniture of Ming and Qing Dynasty China.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 61, no. 1 (Winter 2021): 14–15. Reproduced: p. 14; Mentioned: pp. 14–15
  • China through the Magnifying Glass: Masterpieces in Miniature and Detail. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 11, 2022-February 26, 2023).
    Stories from Storage. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 7-May 16, 2021).
    The Year in Review for 1982. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 5-February 6, 1983).
  • {{cite web|title=Small Chest with Inner Drawers|url=false|author=|year=1700s|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1982.117