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ID #SA1207186
FOR SALE
£4,950
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An Eighteenth Century Chinese Export Lacquer Coffer
For sale by Reindeer Antiques
for sale €5,792     $6,287
£4,950
Reindeer Antiques

Reindeer Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since May 2019
Browse dealers 46 items
  • About Us
    Specialists in english antique furniture from the early seventeenth century to the early nineteenth century. Based on kensington church st.
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Id #SA1207186
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An Eighteenth Century Chinese Export Lacquer Coffer

18th century
Description

An early Eighteenth Century Chinese export black lacquer coffer with a domed top; decorated throughout with landscape scenes set within floral borders and retaining the original engraved brass escutcheon and the original carrying handles; raised on an English japanned stand which has square chamfered legs.

Examples of early Eighteenth Century Chinese export coffers can be found in some of the best collections of English furniture including Ham House, Osterley Park and Houghton. However the majority have flat tops and it relatively rare to find domed top coffers.

circa 1750

Date of Manufacture

Reindeer Antiques has dated this Chinese Export Lacquer Coffer to the 18th Century.

Independent Date Check ID 09450302
Dealer's Item Date18th Century
Sellingantiques Date18th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem 245-300 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to THE 18TH CENTURY:
Engraved Chinese brass lockplate and bail side handles: original export fittings.
Fine craquelure throughout the lacquer ground: natural shrinkage of tree resin.
Two-tone gold decoration of pavilions and willow trees: hand-painted Canton export work.
Chamfered legs on the stand: English joinery made to support an imported chest.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Physical Dimensions
Height
78.8cm (31.02")
Width
94cm (37.01")
Depth
46.2cm (18.19")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1207186
Dealers Internal Reference
BA1367
Description
An early Eighteenth Century Chinese export black lacquer coffer with a domed top; decorated throughout with landscape scenes set within floral borders and retaining the original engraved brass escutcheon and the original carrying handles; raised on an English japanned stand which has square chamfered legs.
“
Examples of early Eighteenth Century Chinese export coffers can be found in some of the best collections of English furniture including Ham House, Osterley Park and Houghton.
Reindeer Antiques

However the majority have flat tops and it relatively rare to find domed top coffers.

circa 1750

Date of Manufacture

Reindeer Antiques has dated this Chinese Export Lacquer Coffer to the 18th Century.

Independent Date Report ID 09450302
Dealer's Item Date18th Century
Sellingantiques dating18th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem 245-300 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to the 18th Century:
Engraved Chinese brass lockplate and bail side handles: original export fittings.
Fine craquelure throughout the lacquer ground: natural shrinkage of tree resin.
Two-tone gold decoration of pavilions and willow trees: hand-painted Canton export work.
Chamfered legs on the stand: English joinery made to support an imported chest.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Height
78.8cm (31.02")
Width
94cm (37.01")
Depth
46.2cm (18.19")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1207186
Dealers Internal Ref
BA1367
Reindeer Antiques
Reindeer Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since May 2019

Specialists in english antique furniture from the early seventeenth century to the early nineteenth century. Based on kensington church st.

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Reindeer Antiques Profile Page

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An eighteenth-century black lacquer coffer featuring gold chinoiserie landscape paintings, resting on a matching wooden stand.
1 / 7
Archive I An eighteenth-century black lacquer coffer featuring gold chinoiserie landscape paintings, resting on a matching wooden stand.

An Eighteenth Century Chinese Export Lacquer Coffer

Archive II An eighteenth-century black lacquer coffer featuring gold chinoiserie landscape paintings, resting on a matching wooden stand. View II
Archive III An eighteenth-century black lacquer coffer featuring gold chinoiserie landscape paintings, resting on a matching wooden stand. View III
Archive IV An eighteenth-century black lacquer coffer featuring gold chinoiserie landscape paintings, resting on a matching wooden stand. View IV
Archive V An eighteenth-century black lacquer coffer featuring gold chinoiserie landscape paintings, resting on a matching wooden stand. View V
Archive VI An eighteenth-century black lacquer coffer featuring gold chinoiserie landscape paintings, resting on a matching wooden stand. View VI
Archive VII An eighteenth-century black lacquer coffer featuring gold chinoiserie landscape paintings, resting on a matching wooden stand. View VII
Enlarged Archival View
Reindeer Antiques

Reindeer Antiques
Telephone 020 7937 3754
Location
81 Kensington Church Street
London
W8 4BG
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/reindeerantiques
Verified Since May 2019
Items For Sale 46
Items Sold 283
Reindeer Antiques
Reindeer Antiques
Verified Since May 2019
View Dealer Info
Location: 81 Kensington Church Street, London, W8 4BG, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/reindeerantiques
Verified
May 2019
For Sale
46
Sold
283
An eighteenth-century black lacquer coffer featuring gold chinoiserie landscape paintings, resting on a matching wooden stand.
An Eighteenth Century Chinese Export Lacquer Coffer
Ref: SA1207186
An eighteenth-century black lacquer coffer featuring gold chinoiserie landscape paintings, resting on a matching wooden stand.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Detail View 5
Detail View 6
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectCoffers
  • Period18th century
  • StyleChinese Export
  • MaterialLacquer, Wood, Brass, Gold Leaf
  • ColourBlack and Gold
  • MotifsGilt chinoiserie landscapes, Domed lid, Matching square-leg stand, Brass escutcheon
  • SizeH 78.8 cm (31 in) x W 94 cm (37 in) x D 46.2 cm (18 in)

An eighteenth-century Chinese export lacquer coffer rests upon a matching wooden stand. The black and gold piece measures 78.8 cm high, 94 cm wide, and 46.2 cm deep. It has a domed lid and square chamfered legs on the stand, with floral borders framing the landscape scenes, while an engraved brass escutcheon sits centrally on the front. The item displays gold leaf details over a black lacquer finish across the timber surface. A collector places this piece in a home study, library, or drawing room as a display surface or storage chest, using the interior space for linens or papers.

FAQs

Chinese export lacquerware refers to items manufactured in China from the late seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries specifically for the European and Western market. Skilled artisans adapted traditional Asian lacquer techniques to suit European furniture forms, resulting in decorative storage trunks, cabinets, and tables featuring elaborate gilt chinoiserie imagery.

Authentic pieces were constructed using wooden frames, often softwoods like pine, coated with multiple layers of natural sap harvested from the Toxicodendron vernicifluum tree. The polished surface was subsequently decorated with gilt paint, pigment, and fitted with engraved brass or bronze lockplates and mountings.

Authentic eighteenth-century lacquer typically displays fine age cracking, known as craquelure, across the surface due to wood movement over time. Examination of the timber underside, hand-forged joinery, dark oxidisation on original brass fittings, and hand-painted gold leaf application helps distinguish period items from later reproductions.

A dark lacquer coffer provides a striking visual contrast against neutral background walls in modern living spaces, hallways, or reception rooms. Positioned alongside contemporary textiles and minimalist architectural elements, the detailed gilt work serves as a focal point without overwhelming the room layout.

Lacquer requires a climate-controlled environment away from direct sunlight, heating vents, and high humidity fluctuation to prevent shrinkage or cracking of the wood base. Dusting should be executed gently with a soft, dry microfibre cloth, avoiding water, solvents, and chemical polishes that can degrade the clear resin coating.
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