Chinese Chests & Trunks

At Zitan Chinese Furniture, one of the items that we specialise in is the antique Chinese Camphorwood chest. Very few other places have them, yet these wonderful items have a fantastic history.

They were almost by definition used by people who lived on boats. The camphorwood lining helped to preserve the contents from humidity and moth attack. Their carvings tell us something of the owner. A chest which is completely floral would have belonged to a woman. If the chest has sea scenes or landscapes then it would have belonged to a man, and if the carving or decoration showed the dragon and phoenix, the symbol of marriage, then the chest would have been a wedding gift. 

In addition to these special chests, here at Zitan, we have rice chests, painted Tibetan trunks and other varied items. Some were medical chests for use at home containing the herbs and remedies for first aid care. Beautiful leather and lacquered chests and trunks are also available.