Antique Chinese dowry box

A small antique Chinese dowry box. This comes from Ningbo in China and is made from pine. It dates from the late 19th century. The upper section would have held the jade jewellery and the lower drawer at the side the taels (ingots) of gold. A Chinese box like this would have been her last present to a bride from her mother on the occasion of her wedding, before she left to join her new husband’s family.