Crackled Lacquer Autumn Altar Box

This petite 19th-century chest of drawers is a fantastic example of the multi-functional boxes used tabletop in lieu of a larger cabinets. Such boxes were used to store cosmetics, jewelry, documents, and other accessories.

This box has four shallow drawers and was likely used atop a domestic altar to store incense and accessories for ancestor worship. Teardrop drawer pulls hang from brass plates shaped as chrysanthemums, symbols of autumn and longevity. The box is cloaked in its original black lacquer finish, now beautifully worn at the edges and aged with a gorgeous crackled texture.