Carved camphor wood chest

A Chinese black lacquered heavily carved camphor wood chest. The beautiful fragrance that emanates from the inside helps to keep away moths, damp and retain the quality of the garments inside, essential for the sea-faring family this would have belonged to. It is decorated with the dragon and phoenix, symbols relating to marriage so this chest would have been a wedding present.The chest originated from the Southern coastal areas of China and would date from the mid 19th to the mid 20th century