Tibetan Golden Dragon Kyungbur Coffer

Crafted in 19th-century Tibet, this captivating storage cabinet is beautifully decorated from end to end in a warm palette of red, orange, green and gold pigments. Hand-painted with incredible detail, the painted facade is a celebration of traditional artistry and harkens back to a bygone era. The decoration employs a painting technique known as "kyung bur," wherein artists use a mixture of gesso, resin, oil and pigments to build up raised outlines and low relief textures. Kyung bur painting adds depth and emphasis to the painted motifs, and imparts a smooth, tactile surface that calls to be touched.

The cabinet front consists of six inset panels, each painted with a celestial dragon with shimmering gold scales. Powerful beings representing the heavens, the fearsome dragons twist and turn amidst swirling green clouds, its claws grasping the four wish-fulfilling jewels, symbols of the enlightened mind.

For use as a sideboard or buffet, the cabinet's originally closed front has been modified to open by four small, front-facing doors, revealing two interior compartments. The back, sides and top of the chest have been left undecorated, save for a layer of dark brown lacquer that has faded with time to accentuate the underlying chiseled texture.

Additional Dimensions:
Opening: 25"W x 17"D x 12"H